Pittsford, N.Y. (WGR 550) - Details of the new stadium plans for the Buffalo Bills will hopefully be revealed by the team and Pegula Sports and Entertainment soon enough, as the deadline to finalize paperwork and other aspects of the deal approaches on Sept. 1.
While that deadline is on the horizon, it appears that Bills fans may be able to soon get their first look at what the future home of the team may look like in Orchard Park with new stadium renderings.
"We're very close," said Executive Vice President of Pegula Sports and Entertainment, Ron Raccuia on Monday during an appearance on the "Howard and Jeremy Show" on WGR. "We have some schematic drawings, we have some renderings. We're very, very close to showing what the stadium is going to look like from the outside and from the inside."
In deciding what features to include for the new stadium, Raccuia says they relied heavily on fan feedback to understand what Bills fans value in a game day experience.
"One thing that came up in talking to fans was they wanted easier access in-and-out of the stadium from a time standpoint, as well as more space to walk and move around," Raccuia told Howard Simon and Jeremy White. "Right now, we have very narrow aisles at Highmark [Stadium]. That means anytime someone wants to get up to go to the concourse, the entire row has to stand up and that's uncomfortable. So we wanted to create more space for the fans."
Bigger aisles isn't the only new change regarding the new stadium's seating, as Raccuia says there will also be a focus on angling the seats to have a better view of the field.
"We're going to make the new seats very steep and stacked so that fans will be closer to the field than they are at Highmark," Raccuia said. "All of that intensity will create tremendous noise leading to a huge home field advantage. This in turn will create an atmosphere we feel will be among the best in the NFL."
The Bills, no doubt, rely heavily on the support of "Bills Mafia" during home games. They won seven of their 10 home games last season, including a resounding victory over the New England Patriots in the AFC Wild Card Round.
Raccuia also mentioned the new stadium will hold between 62,000 and 65,000 fans, and there are no plans to cap the amount of season tickets sold.
Other plans for the new stadium include a revamped concessions menu, and more areas for fans to congregate.
"Buffalonians love to gather," Raccuia said. "You go into a bar and everyone is standing. You go to a party and everyone is in the kitchen or the living room and every other room is empty, so at the stadium we want to make more space for fans to gather."
You can listen to Raccuia's full conversation during the "Howard and Jeremy Show" in the player below:
