Bills fans pleased with team allowing fans chance to see new Highmark Stadium

Orchard Park, N.Y. (WBEN) - With less than a month remaining until the kickoff to Buffalo Bills training camp at St. John Fisher University in Rochester, plans are already set to welcome members of "Bills Mafia" to the new Highmark Stadium ahead of the 2026 season.

To close out the team's training camp schedule, the Bills will host their annual "Return of the Blue and Red" intrasquad scrimmage on Saturday, Aug. 8 at the new state-of-the-art, football first facility. However, the Bills recently announced plans for that practice to be exclusively for Season Ticket holders and anyone who purchased personal seat licenses (PSLs) for the new stadium.

The good news for Bills fans looking to get a first glimpse of the new stadium, though, is head coach Joe Brady pushed for a second open practice on the morning of Tuesday, Aug. 18. That practice will see tickets available for the general public, with PSL holders not getting first dibs to the session.

This open practice comes after the Bills' opening preseason game against the Carolina Panthers on Saturday, Aug. 15, and just before the team travels to Cleveland for a joint practice with the Browns on Thursday, Aug. 20.

At first, many fans on social media reacted negatively to making the "Return of the Blue and Red" a PSL and Season Ticket member exclusive event after the event was free and open to the public for several years at the old Highmark Stadium.

But now that the team has offered fans the opportunity to enjoy the stadium with the second open practice 10 days later, many feel it's what makes the most sense.

"These people are spending thousands of dollars, in most cases, for these seat licenses, and this is the first event at the stadium. I think giving them the first look at the stadium, it's just what makes sense to me," said Stephen from Alfred in an interview with WBEN.

"I think that's totally fair for that one," echoed Aaron from West Seneca with WBEN. "They should be in there first, because they paid the PSLs and they're paying the Season Tickets."

For a Season Ticket holder like Frank from Corning, he feels the Bills did right by the fanbase to come up with a second opportunity for people that did not purchase PSLs to check out the new stadium.

"I think it's really important to get everybody excited about the stadium and the Bills upcoming season, so the more opportunities people have, the better I feel about it," said Frank with WBEN.

When it comes to the second practice at the new stadium, Frank is not upset that the team is not offering the first dibs to Season Ticket holders.

"The first opportunity, I think, was important, and I'm super excited about it. I feel very fortunate that I have the means to be able to do it, and not everybody does. It doesn't mean they're less of a fan, I'm glad they have the shot to go, but it's also a practice," Frank said. "So the more opportunities people have, the better I feel about it, and I think all Bills fans should feel the same."

Stephen feels he understands why any Season Ticket holder may feel shorted by not having first dibs to the open practice on Aug. 18, as well as the "Return of the Blue and Red" scrimmage.

"They've shelled out all this money for the PSLs that's supposed to give you the right of first refusal, pretty much, for any events at that stadium. And this is going to be the second or third event in the stadium, and they're already potentially not honoring that. So I understand their perspective and why they're mad, but at the same time I also think as a one-time thing, to make it open to everybody and have everybody an equal shot to get in there. I think that makes a lot of sense," Stephen explained.

As for that second practice on Aug. 18, while some fans may be disappointed by the timing of it - being early in the morning on a work day - fans who want to take advantage of the opportunity will find a way to get a ticket to the session.

"I think other fans should be able to get in there to be able to see the stadium before it opens, even if they don't have Season Tickets," Aaron said. "I was on the list to be a prospective new Season Ticket holder, but they sold out before I could get a call. But I should still be able to see the stadium before it opens."

"If you want to be there, you want to be there. We've all, as fans, made sacrifices to get to games or get to experience different things related to our fandom over the years when we really want to be there. And I think a lot of people, if they're not able to afford to get to a game, they're going to be more than willing to sacrifice just taking a day or taking a half day off of work to get in there to see the stadium," Stephen added.

Meanwhile, Season Ticket holders like Frank are hopeful that others will not push to claim a ticket for the event on Aug. 18.

"I think it's important for people to have an opportunity to go that don't have Season Tickets, and if they're flooded with people that already have had that opportunity with the two preseason games and the Blue and Red scrimmage; I'll have three shots before this stadium officially opens against the Lions. So I think it's important that other people have a chance to go in and get excited about the new stadium and the upcoming season," he said.

In the meantime, many Bills fans continue to salivate at the opportunity to eventually get into the new stadium and check out what it has to offer for "Bills Mafia" and football fans alike.

"I definitely think it would be cool to get in there prior to game action, just to see where things are, what's different, what the different options are for concessions, and even just seeing what the different seating options look like in person," Stephen said. "We've obviously seen lots of photos and videos, but seeing it in person, knowing that I might not make it to a game this year because of how expensive the prices are, I do think that's something that would be very exciting."

"To have Season Tickets for as long as I did at the old Highmark, to have a new perspective; I'm in Row 1 again, very, very lucky to be in Row 1 again, but a different spot," Frank added. "Even though I was in the other spot for almost 30 years, just to get down to the new seats to see what it looks like. I'm excited to see what the sound is like, because I think the canopy will help a little bit with that. Even though it's going to be fewer fans, I think it could be louder, which is always exciting. I just can't wait to get down there and experience what the new Highmark is all about."