Orchard Park, N.Y. (WBEN/WGR) - The playing surface at the new Highmark Stadium is being rapidly replaced to get ready for the Buffalo Bills' regular season home opener on Sept. 17 against the Detroit Lions.
"It's being installed as we speak, and we're expecting the installation to be done this weekend," said Bills' president of business operations Pete Guelli while appearing with our sister station WGR on Thursday. "It gives you a nice window to treat the field and make sure it's ready for opening day."
After two preseason games, two practices and a few "walk-throughs," many visible divots had formed on the new playing surface. The team said the field passed a league inspection, but thought that it could be better.
"We had also sent our grounds crew out to Tuckahoe (Turf Farms), where we had multiple fields on reserve, because you anticipate changing it two or three times a year. Most teams change it even more," Guelli noted.
Guelli says the grounds crews had tested the turf in the stadium's South end zone, and made the determination that the quality of the reserve field was better. Ultimately, they made the decision to change out the entire field.
"We had anticipated [changing the field], but the timing is difficult sometimes," Guelli acknowledged. "You've got to remember we had two preseason games out there, we had two practices out there, we had a couple of other walk-throughs out there and you're going to have three games in-a-row, which would put you somewhere in the timing of what the life cycle would be."
