Bills Won't Renew Buffalo Lease in 2023 Without New Stadium Agreement

The Bills' long-term future in Buffalo looks murky, with their current stadium lease agreement set to expire in July 2023. 

Ron Raccuia, Pegula Sports and Entertainment senior vice president, told WBEN-Radio (h/t the Associated Press) the Bills "absolutely will not" renew their lease with the state of New York and Erie county if there is no agreement in place for a new stadium. 

Raccuia's comments came after John Wawrow of the Associated Press reported last month that the Bills proposed building a new $1.4 billion stadium across the street from their current facilities. 

Wawrow followed up on Tuesday, noting the stadium would include 60,000 seats and 60 suites "with a completion date pegged for no later than 2027 based on how quickly a deal can be struck."

According to Wawrow, the proposal's two primary topics of debate are how quickly a deal could be approved and how the cost would be split between taxpayers and Bills ownership. 

Per Tim Graham of The Athletic, the Bills likely couldn't renovate their current stadium because the "structural integrity of Highmark Stadium doesn’t allow" it.

"Rather than dump $400 million into Highmark Stadium for the pleasure of processing additional repair bills, the preference is to spend about three times that for a brand new, open-air ballpark," Graham wrote.

Raccuia also noted the Bills are not "yet" focused on potential relocation options. 

"We're just committed to getting everybody together as quickly as possible to get to a solution," he said. "Talking about options and 'what happens if,' that serves no purpose. It's not where any of our focus or resources are being dedicated."

Pegula Sports and Entertainment has owned the Bills since 2014 when Kim and Terry Pegula purchased the franchise after Ralph Wilson died in March 2014. 

Highmark Stadium in Orchard Park, New York, has been the Bills' home stadium since 1973. It's currently the fourth-oldest stadium in the NFL, ahead of Soldier Field (1924), Lambeau Field (1957) and Arrowhead Stadium (1972). 

The Bills began play in Buffalo during the 1960 season as a charter member of the American Football League.