Bills to Rename Stadium After Ending Naming Rights Contract with New Era

Less than four years into a seven-year, $35 million stadium naming rights agreement, New Era Cap Company and the Buffalo Bills are ending their agreement.

The Bills announced Wednesday they will look for a new sponsor for the venue known as New Era Field as the parties are "negotiating the details of this separation."

Originally known as Rich Stadium, and later Ralph Wilson Stadium, New Era Field marked the third time the venue changed names. 

The Buffalo-based headwear company has suffered financially during the coronavirus pandemic, previously furloughing nearly 70 percent of its 600 employees in March with CEO Chris Koch laying out the dire situation in a statement (h/t Mark Mulville of The Buffalo News):

"In my 40 years at New Era, I have never experienced a series of events that have so quickly and adversely impacted our business. We felt we had no option but to move quickly to a temporary furlough in order to ride out this sudden economic downturn. This decision was not made lightly, and I regret the impact it will have on our employees. Their dedication and commitment to my family’s business has always been what has made New Era successful and we will do everything we can to get our employees back to work as soon as possible when our industry begins to return to normal."

Following the furloughs, Erie County Executive Mark Poloncarz blasted the company and directed his ire at the Bills' stadium.

"I am exceptionally disappointed with New Era," Poloncarz said per Matt Parrino of NewYorkUpstate.com. "I would rather see the stadium called Veterans Stadium than New Era. I won’t even use that name. I still call it Ralph Wilson Stadium. I’m a little disappointed in the way New Era treated our community. That company would not exist without the hard work of the people in this community."

There are currently only three NFL teams who play in stadiums without naming rights deals: the Chicago Bears at Soldier Field, Green Bay Packers at Lambeau Field and the Kansas City Chiefs at Arrowhead Stadium. The Denver Broncos still refer to their stadium as 'Mile High' but is officially known as Empower Field at Mile High.