BUFFALO, N.Y. (WBEN) - As negotiations continue over the future of the stadium for the Buffalo Bills, we're examining what role the NFL has in the ongoing talks.
The league is one of the four entities that are a part of the stadium talks. The others are Erie County, New York State, and Pegula Sports and Entertainment.
"The NFL is always involved when you're talking about building a multi-billion dollar stadium," Don Muret, a Senior Editor at VenuesNow, said. "In Buffalo, I think it may be a unique situation considering that Roger Goodell is from that region, so he may be taking a special interest in that project. We've seen over the past few days and on previous occasions where he says the league is committed to keeping the team in Buffalo, but we've seen how that plays out over time with other teams. I think there is a genuine interest in keeping the team there in Buffalo."
Goodell on Monday addressed the stadium talks with reporters, offering little details other than to say the parties are working together and there is a need for a new stadium in Buffalo. He deferred a preference about where the stadium should be located, saying those are decisions that should be made locally.
Muret said the NFL will likely focus on the big picture and not details like a requirement of a domed stadium versus retractable roof, number of bathrooms, and other details.
"My guess is they don't," Muret said. "It's more a case of 'Let's reach a solution that meets everybody's needs'. Certainly the climate, you have to take that into consideration. I think it's more of a case of what the market can sustain and it all plays into the financing, obviously. I don't think they're pushing one way or another for whether a stadium as a roof or not."
While Buffalo is a smaller market compared to other regions that don't have an NFL franchise, Muret said Buffalo is important to the NFL because of the rabid fanbase.
"I think it would behoove the NFL to make sure there's a team there," Muret said. "There's a great history there dating to the AFL, 50 to 60 years having a team in that market. If you look across the country, I don't know if there's a lot of cities that can support an NFL team. Maybe St. Louis but we saw what happened there toward the end. They really weren't drawing that well. Part of it may have been the dome and the antiseptic atmosphere. But if you look at other markets, I really don't know where they would move to be honest."
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Expect new developments soon in the negotiations. Governor Kathy Hochul said Wednesday the state's stadium study will be released "within a few days".
Meanwhile, Erie County Executive Mark Poloncarz told reporters there are no plans for him to meet personally with lawmakers in Erie County to discuss the stadium negotiations.
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