The Roaming Photographer: The Highmark BlueCross BlueShield Stadium

Full Name: Highmark BlueCross BlueShield Stadium

Researched and compiled by Carrie Birdsong

Former Names: Rich Stadium (1973 – 1997)
Ralph Wilson Stadium (1998 – 2015)
New Era Field (2016 – 2019)
Bills Stadium (2020)
Capacity: 71,608 (current)(3)
Broke Ground: April 4th, 1972
Opened: August 17th, 1973
Renovated: 1998, 2013
Construction cost: US $22 million (1973) $151 million in 2023 dollars)(1)
Tenants: Buffalo Bills (NFL) 1973 – 2026 (planned)
Syracuse Orange (NCAA) 1979

History

Stadium Development

An original franchise of the American Football League (AFL) in 1960, the Buffalo Bills played their 13 seasons at War Memorial Stadium, a multi-use Works Progress Association (WPA) project stadium that opened in 1938,(5)(6) located on Buffalo’s East Side. While suitable for AFL play in the 1960’s, the “Rockpile” (as the stadium came to be nicknamed), was in disrepair and with a capacity of under 47,000, undersized for a National Football League (NFL) team. The league mandate instituted after the AFL – NFL merger of 1970 dictated a minimum of 50,000 seats.

In early 1971, owner Ralph Wilson was exploring options to relocate the team, possibly to Seattle,(7)(8)(9) with other cities such as Memphis and Tampa soon expressing interests as well(10). The potential loss of the team hastened the stadium project(11) and Rich Stadium opened in 1973(12). The location and construction of the stadium in Erie County were the source of years of litigation,(13) which ended with a financial settlement for a developer who had planned to erect a domed stadium in Lancaster(11)(14). However, plans changed because it was not wanted to be close to Lancaster High School(15). The stadium was ultimately built by Frank Schoenle and his construction company. Bonds were approved by the county legislature in September 1971.(16)(17)(18)

Naming Rights

In 1972, Rich Products, a Buffalo-based food products company, signed a 25-year, $1.5 million dollar deal ($60,000 per year), by which the venue would be called “Rich Stadium”; one of the earliest examples of the sale of naming rights in North American sports(19). (The name was somewhat of a compromise, after Bills owner and founder Ralph Wilson rejected the name Rich wanted to use. “Coffee Rich Park.”)(20) By a vote of 16 – 4, the county legislature approved the name in November 1972,(21) despite a matching offer from Wilson to name it “Buffalo Bills Stadium.”(22)(23)(24)

When the Bills organization regularly referred to the stadium without the “Rich” name, Rich Products brought a $7.5 million dollar lawsuit against the team in 1976(25). After the original deal expired after a quarter century in 1998, the stadium was renamed in honor of Wilson. Rich Products balked at paying a greatly increased rights fee,(26) which would have brought the price up to par with other NFL stadiums.

On August 13th, 2016, Buffalo-based New Era Cap Company and the Bills reached a seven-year, $35 million dollar agreement for stadium naming rights(27)(28). The Bills and New Era officially announced the stadium’s new name of New Era Field five days later, on August 18th, 2016.(29)

On July 15th, 2020, the Bills announced that New Era Cap asked to be released from their naming rights and sponsorship deal, and the two sides agreed on terms to terminate the contract. The statement referred to the venue only as “the stadium”, and the Bills’ website scrubbed all references to New Era(30). Under the terms of the 2012 lease agreement, in addition to Erie County having to approve any new stadium name as the stadium’s legal owners, the government of the state of New York would also have a veto; the clause was inserted to quash ambush marketing attempts. Under this clause, Erie County executive Mark Poloncarz rejected a naming rights bid by mini toilet maker Tushy Bidets, saying that any name that “embarrasses the community” would not even be considered regardless of the size of the bid(31). Signs bearing the “New Era Field” name were removed beginning July 24th(32). On August 20th, the team announced they would temporarily use the name Bills Stadium until they found a new naming-rights partner.(33)

On March 29th, 2021, the team announced that the stadium’s new name would be Highmark Stadium after reaching a 10-year agreement with Highmark Blue Cross Blue Shield of Western New York.(34)(35)

Stadium records and facts

The first NFL playoff game at the stadium came in the 1988 season, a 17 – 10 Bills victory over the Houston Oilers on January 1st, 1989. The Bills won every ensuing playoff game at the stadium until they were defeated on December 28th, 1996 by the Jacksonville Jaguars. They would not lose another playoff game at the stadium until January 22nd, 2023, when they lost 27 – 10 in the AFC Divisional Round against the Cincinnati Bengals.

The Bills have defeated each of the 31 other teams there at least once and are unbeaten there against three teams: the Arizona (4 – 0), Green Bay Packers (7 – 0), and Tampa Bay Buccaneers (3 – 0).

Design and Renovation

The stadium is open-air, with a capacity 71,870(36). It has never had a natural grass surface; AstroTurf was installed in the stadium upon its opening in 1973. The first renovation occurred in 1984 when the stadium’s capacity was increased to 80,290 with the addition of 16 executive suites.

Eight years later in 1992, 24 more executive suites were added. In 1994, major renovations were made to the stadium including the addition of the Red Zone and Goal Line clubs that are enclosed in glass and have 500 seats. These renovations also added 14 executive suites. A massive $9.1-million-dollar (inflation adjusted) 41.5 by 31.5 feet (12.6 by 9.6 m) Sony Jumbotron video scoreboard was a major update in 1994 and was the largest in the U.S. at the time. In 1998, $57 million dollars were spent to refit the stadium with larger seats and more luxury and club seating as part of the Bills lease renewal with Erie County(26). This caused the seating capacity to be reduced to just under 74,000.

In the 2003 offseason, the original style turf was replaced with a newer AstroTurf product, AstroTurf GameDay Grass (also known as AstroPlay). The lease agreement also stipulated Erie County would continue to upgrade the stadium; in the summer of 2007, a new HD Mitsubishi LED board measuring 88.8 feet by 32.5 feet (27.1 by 9.9 m) was installed and replaced the 13-year-old Sony Jumbotron. Over 1,000 feet (300 m) of Mitsubishi Diamond Vision LED Ribbon Boards were also installed in the interior during that renovation. The total cost for the 2007 project was $5.2 million. In 2011, the Bills changed their turf to a new product, A-Turf Titan, produced by a Western New York company. As of the 2011 season, Buffalo is the only NFL stadium using the A-Turf Titan product.(37)

On December 21st, 2012, the lease negotiations between the Bills, Erie County, and the state of New York ended with the Bills signing a ten-year lease to stay in Buffalo until 2023(38). The agreement included $130 million in improvements to New Era Field. Renovations included new larger entrance gates, larger HD sponsor boards added to each side of the video scoreboard, two new 33.6 by 59.84 feet (10.24 by 18.24 m) HD video boards, larger LED sponsor board added on the tunnel end of the stadium, expanded concessions, new team store, and redesign of areas and lost just outside the entrance gates. In addition, a life-size statue of Ralph Wilson was added posthumously added to a new area outside the team store called “Founders Plaza” in 2015.(39)

Buffalo, by virtue of its position downwind of Lake Erie, is one of the nation’s windiest cities, and as a result, Highmark Stadium is difficult for kickers, with swirling winds that change direction rapidly. This is exacerbated by the stadium design. The field is 50 feet (15 m) below ground level, while the top of the upper deck stands only 60 feet (18 m) above ground. The open end lies parallel to the direction of the prevailing winds, so when the winds come in, they immediately drop down into the bowl, causing the stadium’s signature wind patterns.