The Bills said they are “addressing internal and external feedback” after a weekend scrimmage at the team’s new $2.2 billion Highmark Stadium generated record attendance but also revealed issues such as obstructed seats.
The NFL team conducted its first fan-facing event at the new facility Saturday, attracting a record crowd for its annual Return of the Blue & Red practice. The event gave fans an up-close look at the stadium after more than three years of construction, and the final attendance of 51,807 beat the prior milestone for the event by more than 12,000 fans.
Online commentary and social media, however, quickly gravitated to the presence of some obstructed-view seats, particularly in the upper deck, as well as surprisingly small videoboards—though some of those seats discussed online are not being sold for Bills games.
On Monday, the Bills said they are aware of the comments and will be making a series of changes before the Sept. 17 home opener at the new facility against the Lions, a game that will also be the season debut for Amazon’s Thursday Night Football.
“Thank you to Bills Mafia for setting a new attendance record with more than 50,000 fans at the Return of the Blue & Red. Saturday’s practice was a great opportunity to test the new stadium,” the team said in a statement. “We are currently addressing internal and external feedback regarding the facility’s operation following the first event. We’ll utilize the next six weeks to refine any details as we prepare for the home opener on Sept. 17.”
