Editor’s note: This story has been updated with more recent reports.
The NFL has made its position clear following multiple reports that the Bills could possibly leave Buffalo if a new stadium isn’t built.
“We’re focused on keeping the Bills [in Buffalo] in a new stadium in a public, private partnership,” said NFL commissioner Roger Goodell.
Owned by Kim and Terry Pegula, the Bills’ current stadium lease expires in 2023. As a result, the couple has been aggressive in finding a new home for the NFL franchise.
- The Pegulas proposed $1.4 billion in total funding for a new stadium, according to The Associated Press.
- Taxpayers will not be providing 100% of the funds for the project, but there would be “some form of a public/private partnership,” according to Ron Raccuia, the executive vice president of Pegula Sports and Entertainment.
If the Pegulas are unable to reach a deal, Austin, Texas, has been mentioned in reports as a potential destination for the Bills.
Taxpayers have backed more than $200 million in renovations for Highmark Stadium, another Pegula property, since 2013. Highmark Health acquired naming rights for the venue in March.