Pittsford, N.Y. (WBEN) - Thursday marks the final practice of Buffalo Bills training camp in 2022 at St. John Fisher University in Pittsford. The team has been out in the Rochester area for more than two weeks, as players and coaches have had the chance to get to know one another better and grow as a group before the season.
Once Thursday's session wraps up in front of the fans of Rochester, the team will return to Orchard Park and gear up for three preseason games against the Indianapolis Colts and Denver Broncos at Highmark Stadium, and another game in Carolina against the Panthers.
This year's training camp saw tickets for practices being made available to the public for free, but they did not last long, as the team had announced a sell out of training camp just 10 days before the team kickstarted practices. It also didn't take long for the Bills to be able to sell out tickets for the annual "Return of the Blue and Red" practice in front of fans at Highmark Stadium.
While the process to acquire tickets for practices in Pittsford was a bit of a hassle, for some, the end result was absolutely worth it.
"For me, I think I was a thousand in line, in the queue, but it only took like five minutes for the queue to get to me. So that wasn't so bad, but was it worth it? Of course, it's worth it," said Bills fan Mike Ryan from Tonawanda.
"If I didn't work at a school and had the summer off, I would not be here," admitted Bills fan Cari from Sotus. "I waited eight hours in line online, and finally got the tickets. Yes, it's worth it, but if I didn't have the summers off, I would not have the tickets."
Despite some people enjoying a good amount of summer days off from work, it may still be a hassle to find time in a busy schedule to get out to Rochester and take in a Bills practice. Some fans showed their true dedication during training camp by traveling from far-and-wide to watch their favorite team take the field against one another.
"I have a crazy hectic schedule, but the Bills gotta be priority sometimes," said Bills fan Jill Anderson from Grand Island. "When you live in Buffalo, the Bills are it, so you gotta make time for them."
As for the benefits of Bills training camp being in Rochester once again, many fans believe it gives more people a chance to watch their favorite team and players, even if there's no game being played.
"'Bills Mafia' is everywhere, so it's just more diversity, which is good," said Bills fan Sara from Brockport.
"It allows other people to see the Bills that normally can't make it to Buffalo, so we can see them play a little bit here," added Bills fan Chris from Sotus.
In addition to giving fans in the Rochester area a better chance to watch the Bills take the field, it also gives the area a much-needed boost in the summer months.
"It brings in really good revenue and good morale to the Rochester area," Cari said. "We have a bad name, just because of life these days. So the Bills coming and boosting our morale and the city's morale, it's pretty good. It's awesome."
After being forced to hold training camp for the last two years at the ADPRO Sports Training Center in Orchard Park, the Bills announced back in March they agreed to a one-year deal to return to St. John Fisher University for training camp.
This season officially marked Year 21 the Bills have held training camp in Rochester. However, the future of camp in Pittsford will, once again, remain up in the air with no long-term agreement in place to come back to the 585 area code.
For a large number of Bills fans, they are certainly hopeful to see the team return to Rochester for training camp next year and many more seasons to come.
"I think it's great here, because they get out and they mingle with the fans and they are always open with the fans. It's just fun to watch them and see what they do when they're getting ready for the season," said Bills fan Tom Linden from Canadaigua.
"I think it's nice here, because they stay right in the dorms so they continue to build those internal relationships with each other," said Bills fan Linda Stevens of Cheektowaga. "And it's a nice trip, it's not that far. It's so open, and less crowded than it is at the stadium."
Admittedly, there are some Bills fans who would love to host the team closer to home back in the 716 area code. However, they are fully willing to do what is best for the team going forward.
"I'm on the fence. It's good for the team, I think, to get away and have that camaraderie. But for the fans, again, it's a drive for us to come here, but I gotta look at the team," Ryan said. "Whatever is best for the team, that's where I'm going."
"I think it's important too, because it's nice to give the Bills that camp experience, as well," added Anderson. "It's different being at a college and building those connections as a team than being at the stadium where you're going to play. So I think it's important for the players more, so I don't mind making that journey."
The team will hold their final practice of training camp at 9:45 a.m. ET on Thursday. It is open to the public, but a ticket is required to attend.
