The Buffalo Bills have a new stadium being constructed in their long-time home of Orchard Park, New York. “New Highmark Stadium” will be across the street from the original Highmark, will seat 62,000 people, and should be ready for the start of the 2026 NFL season. But will it have a roof to protect the team from the harsh elements that have postponed and re-located games in recent years?
Will There Be A Roof On The New Bills Stadium?
Due to the lake effect coming off of chilly Lake Erie, Buffalo is one of the snowiest cities in the country. Immense winter storms are typical for the area starting in November, and they’ve been known to have adverse impacts on the Bills and their home games. In November 2022, their game against the Cleveland Browns was moved to Ford Field in Detroit, and their playoff game in January 2024 was postponed a full day due to severe conditions.
It makes sense for the team to consider putting a dome on their new digs. Proposals that were submitted many years ago included a retractable roof, but the finalized plans call for the stadium to be open-air. It was argued that while the conditions are often not ideal, the cold, winter weather is a staple of Buffalo Bills football, and a part of the tradition and lore of the franchise’s history.
While the field will certainly be subjected to the elements, it is estimated that 65% of the seats would be protected overhead.
Buffalo Bills New Highmark stadium drone flyover #buffalobills #BillsMafia pic.twitter.com/yQ5cDubATq
— Buffalo Stadium Live (@BuffStadiumLive) October 22, 2024
Because the stadium will be built without a roof, it will be out of consideration for any future Super Bowls. Leaders in Buffalo have already argued that the city would be incapable of hosting the event anyway with a lack of infrastructure, adding to the reasons to keep the open-air style.
Construction began back in June 2023, and has a target opening date of July 1st, 2026. New Highmark will have a price tag of $1.4 billion, with the state of New York and Erie County contributing $850 million towards the project. The Bills will contribute $350 million, with the remaining costs being paid via a loan involving the NFL.
The “old” Highmark Stadium was originally built in 1973, and has been the team’s home ever since. Originally knows as Rich Stadium, it was perhaps most familiarly known as “Ralph Wilson Stadium”, but has been knows as Highmark since 2021.
