Orchard Park, N.Y. (WBEN) - On Friday, the Buffalo News reported and WBEN confirmed that the Pegulas are planning to use personal seat licenses to help fund their portion of a new stadium.
"Unfortunately or fortunately, depending on who you ask, personal seat licenses are a routine part of the stadium financing landscape of the NFL and other sports, actually," said Dan Kaplan, sports business writer for The Athletic.
"It is what it sounds like - it's a license for the right to buy a particular seat," he continued. "If you want to buy in the lower bowl or upper bowl, there's a designated fee for the right to purchase it."
It's not surprising that the Bills are looking toward PSL's, especially considering the trend across sports. In fact, Pegula Sports & Entertainment Executive Vice President Ron Raccuia noted that PSL's are already used to some degree at Highmark Stadium.
"We already have PSL's - our club seats and other premiums contain PSL's," he said in an interview with WBEN several weeks ago. "PSL's in some way, shape, or form will be a part of the new stadium."
Raccuia recognized the fear or connotation of rising prices when the term PSL is brought up, but he's adamant the organization is focused on making sure people don't get priced out.
"They will not be anything like PSL's throughout the rest of the NFL in those major markets that have opened in LA, Atlanta, and other places," said Raccuia. "Everything we do from a pricing perspective will be for the Buffalo market and for the Buffalo fans. We know we can't price them out in any way, shape, or form, whether you're a season ticket owner in the upper deck or whether you're a club seat owner at the 50-yard-line...we realize that.
"I don't think fans should get very nervous for PSLs," he continued. "We understand this market and understand the limitations to it."
On Friday, Raccuia said the number of season tickets required to pay licenses is still to be determined, but it would impact most, if not all, tickets.