Orchard Park, N.Y. (WBEN) - The 2025 Buffalo Bills season officially kicks off this Sunday night at Highmark Stadium, which also starts the final year of stadium construction for the new Highmark Stadium across the street on Abbott Road.
The last two seasons of Bills football in Orchard Park has presented their challenges with the game day experience for fans due to construction in-and-around the new state-of-the-art facility set to open next July. The biggest challenge over that time has been parking for fans, which will get a bit more complicated this year.
"The biggest change I think fans are going to see is less parking. Unfortunately, because of the new stadium construction project, we've lost the North end of our parking lot, which was previously referred to as Lot 4, just North of the new stadium construction. That is about 1,000-plus spaces that we're trying to offset for this season," said Andy Mayor, vice president of operations and guest experience with the Bills.
To make up for some of the lost parking space due to construction this season, Major says the Bills have worked closely with Erie County and ECC South Campus to help gain some additional parking.
"They've been great partners. We are going to have additional parking at ECC for fans. We're still going to have a shuttle service for our game day staff to help open up parking," he said. "We've expanded a little bit of our South lots here, where we removed the house, that was a part of our property for game day staff parking."
While the Bills are doing what they can to add more parking for fans and staff, the team is still asking fans to come prepared for game day.
"Please carpool like you did last season, have an advanced plan like you did last season," Major said. "I think last season, we were very pleasantly surprised how great the fans really handled their game day parking. They had a plan, we saw a lot of people carpool, and we really didn't see the traffic or the parking problems that we thought we might see."
Once again, the Bills are set to have parking permits for fans in the team lots the closer you get to Highmark Stadium. In addition, some private lots surrounding the stadium have also established their own permit system, with many of those lots having already sold out for the season.
Major is appreciative for the neighborhood lots helping parking cars for games, as usual, and feels it's going to help parking this year in general.
"Those fans already have a space in line. They have a parking permit, they know when they arrive that they're going to be able to go into those lots. And then other fans that don't have a Buffalo Bills parking permit or may not have a parking permit through some of the neighborhood lots that sell parking permits in advance, they know they have to have a plan," Major said.
While Major understands this may be a bit of an inconvenience, he acknowledges it should be for just one more season as the team wraps up its final phase of the construction project.
"We're real hopeful that fans will take notice, do what they did last year. And again, the message is definitely carpool, have an advanced plan," Major reiterated. "If you don't have a parking permit with the Bills or with these other neighborhood lots, it's really helpful to have that advanced plan. Know where you're going to go, and plan it out."
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A number of lot owners close to the stadium like Mark Ebeling, owner of Danny's South at Big Tree Road and Abbott Road, have received several calls from Bills fans on parking ahead of Sunday night's opener.
"I was up early this morning striping my lot out back so I know what I have, and people are just calling me non-stop about parking. It's insane," said Ebeling in an interview with WBEN. "Don't worry, people, there's plenty of parking. Don't let anybody kid you. I'm telling that from a parking lot owner, there's plenty of parking out here. There really is."
One thing Ebeling is expecting this season compared to last year is a large number of Bills fans looking to take in a game day in Orchard Park, even if they don't have a ticket to the game at the stadium.
"It's the last year of the stadium, so everybody and their brother wants to be out here," Ebeling said. "The last few years, we've had tons of people in the bar that didn't have tickets to go to the games. But this year, it's going to be twice as much, I think, because the fact that it's the last year of the stadium. I went to the very first game, I'm going to go to the very last game. That's going to be so cool.
Even though Sunday's game is slated for an 8:20 p.m. kickoff, Ebeling believes there will be plenty of fans set to park in his lot as early as 6:30 a.m.
"I said I'm opening my lot at 8 a.m., but I'll be down here early just to give myself a little time to rope it all off and do what I got to do. But I'm expecting it to be insane, I really am. It's going to be nuts," Ebeling said.
While there may be some concern about parking availability come game day in Orchard Park this season, Ebeling strongly feels that won't be the case.
Eric "Hammer" Matwijow, owner of Hammer's Lot along Abbott Road, can also sense the excitement surrounding the final season of the current Highmark Stadium.
"This is the last year of 'The Ralph', and a lot of people, I could see the cost or their age, they're not buying into the new stadium. So right now, there is a great demand to be at 'The Ralph' this year," said Matwijow with WBEN. "Obviously, the team is hot with Josh Allen, the MVP, the potential is right there. Every year, everybody's got hope the first game.
"It's the nostalgia of 'The Ralph'. People have gone there with their parents, and they might not be with us anymore, but they're carrying on the tradition of going to 'The Ralph'. So there's always that desire to be there one more time."
Like Ebeling, Matwijow has been getting plenty of calls, as well as requests on his Twitter and Facebook pages from Bills fans are asking to reserve a parking spot.
"It's always first come, first serve in my lots," Matwijow noted. "I don't think there's gonna be a big drop off, unless, unfortunately - I don't want to say this - Josh Allen gets hurt and the team really looks dismal. I think this is going to be exciting year the whole year through. The demand is going to be right there."
Leading up to Sunday's season opener, Matwijow says there is something he's noticed that will seem to work well come game days this season.
"The new traffic pattern from last year, two lanes going West on Big Tree Road, has helped out our area a lot greatly for people to be leaving. We've already saw that with the George Strait show and the preseason game," he said. "But just know where you're going, and if you can talk to a homeowner ahead of time, I would advise that to try to reserve a parking spot. Some people will reserve, other people won't. But just have a good time and be safe."
In his 40-plus years of owning Hammer's Lot, Matwijow also shares the advice of coming to Orchard Park with a solid gameplan for game days this year.
"Everybody should be prepared. It's gonna be a sticker shock, but a lot of people will be coming in early," Matwijow said. "I'm planning on opening at noon, but I know people will be in my lot at 8, 9 o'clock [in the morning]. It's just like a parking meter-type of thing, we're going to charge them to be in there early. I have employee costs, insurance, they're getting me out of bed early. It's gonna be a long day. It's gonna be a 15 hour day, and I'm not a young man anymore!"