Bills Reveal New Tailgate Policy to Combat Rowdy Fan Behavior Before Games

The Buffalo Bills announced new tailgating rules Wednesday for their Bus and Limo Parking Lot outside New Era Field in coordination with fan experience company Tailgate Guys ahead of the 2019 NFL season.

Andy Major, the Bills' vice president of operations and guest experience, told Jay Skurski of the Buffalo News the team is hopeful the arrangement will lead to a safer game day environment. 

"Our No. 1 concern as an organization is fan safety," he said. "When you're seeing what was happening in the bus lot the last couple seasons, especially last year, it gets very concerning. It's dangerous behavior, not just negative fan behavior. It's dangerous to security, the sheriffs and staff who are trying to police things."

Fans in Buffalo, unofficially known as the Bills Mafia, have become known for their over-the-top pregame festivities. Videos posted on social media in recent years have showcased fans jumping from the top of cars, buses and other objects through folding tables, some of which were on fire.

Bills fans even took their antics on the road to Jacksonville in January 2018 when the team played its first playoff game in 17 years against the Jaguars.

While the organization has made concerted efforts in recent years to quell the behavior, it's found limited success. It hopes the new rules in what's now dubbed Tailgate Village will eliminate the behavior.

"The viral videos on social media, it's embarrassing when we see that," Major told Skurski. "It affects the community, affects the team negatively. We know our fans aren't like that. That's what's disappointing for us."

Whether it will be successful is unclear. Since New Era Field is built in a well-populated section of Orchard Park, a Buffalo suburb, many fans attending the game park in private lots and on local residents' property, which makes their tailgating parties harder to police.

It's such a major part of the Bills' game day experience that "tailgating habits" was listed on a survey sent to season-ticket holders as the team begins brainstorming ideas for a new stadium, which could be located in downtown Buffalo, leaving less room for large-scale tailgate activities.