Buffalo Bills fans had a mixed reaction to the new Highmark Stadium. It was met with just as much criticism as praise.
Most of the complaints stemmed from the high cost of construction.
If an NFL team is going to spend such a large amount of money on a new stadium, it should not have any flaws. Even if the overwhelming response is positive.
The Buffalo Bills spent ~$2.1 billion on the new Highmark Stadium.
Construction of the new Highmark Stadium officially began on June 5, 2023. It took more than three years to complete at a cost of approximately $2.1 billion. The public contributed $850 million, with $600 million from New York State and $250 million from Erie County. The remainder was privately funded through the organization and the league.
It is deliberately not a dome. The Bills wanted to preserve the outdoor Buffalo football experience but an overhang canopy protects ~64% of fans from the elements, the concourses are heated, and the field is equipped with a snow-melt system.
Highmark Stadium holds an official seating capacity of 60,108 plus standing-room areas. It is approximately 1.35 million square feet in size. Features include two state-of-the-art video scoreboards, a high-fidelity audio system designed specifically for the building, multiple premium lounges, clubs and luxury suites, modern wireless connectivity infrastructure, new locker rooms and administrative facilities, and modern food-service kitchens. The stadium was built to concentrate crowd noise toward the field. Multiple installations pay homage to Buffalo fan culture, like the broken table.
Overall, the stadium looks beautiful. Fans who attended the open scrimmage on Saturday said it is very spacious venue with better sight lines from bigger seats as well as from the concourse.
They also appreciated the size of the bathrooms and concessions because lines won’t be as long and prices are not horrible compared to other stadiums, as well as the attention to detail. The sound was crisp and the crowd will be loud.
Obstructed views are the focus of criticism.
Although the reception to the new Highmark Stadium was mostly positive, not every fan was thrilled with the design. Given how much time and money was spent on the design and construction, they were surprised by some of the shortcomings.
The video boards, while high-tech, are small. (I personally think that is a great thing because you are there to watch the game on the field and I’m sure that was the thought process.)
Other “cons” include the lack of escalators to/from the upper deck, the potential abuse of the self-checkout concession systems, strong winds at field level, not enough coverage from the elements compared to what was promised, and the traffic in/out of the stadium. It is also very steep in the upper deck.
The most consistent complaint focused on obstructed views.
Fans will be blocked by people going up and down the stairs to get to/from their seats. That is especially true in the 200+ seats.
Whoever sits here won’t be able to see any touchdowns scored in the far end zone:
To be completely honest, I don’t know whether it is possible to build a stadium without any obstructed views. And you should always check the view from your seat before you purchase a ticket anyway.
Still, some Bills fans question how the team spent $2.1 billion for seats to be obstructed. Especially when the ownership promised that every seat would be a good seat.
The post Buffalo Bills Fans Are Furious With Awful Obstructed Views At The $2.1 Billion New Highmark Stadium appeared first on BroBible.
Buffalo Bills Fans Are Furious With Awful Obstructed Views At The $2.1 Billion New Highmark Stadium
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