Hours after news dropped of the Buffalo Bills and the team’s ownership, Terry and Kim Pegula, searching for taxpayer money to help build their a new stadium, another bombshell was dropped.
In the initial report which indicated the Bills wanted taxpayers to front the entire cost of a new stadium, it was said that ownership made note to local government that other cities would pay big money to have a NFL team relocated to them.
Evidently one of them might be a city in Texas: Austin. Per ESPN‘s Seth Wickersham, the capital city of the Lone Star State is one location interested being a “possible destination” for the Bills if they were to move:
An ownership source tells me that Austin is a possible destination—or threat—as one of the “other cities elsewhere that desire an NFL franchise and would pay handsomely for it.” https://t.co/zMf1oChO8K
— Seth Wickersham (@SethWickersham) August 1, 2021
The quote from Wickersham comes from the initial report of the team wanting full taxpayer backing to build a new stadium.
It was said in that first report that, while there is no real desire by ownership to move the Bills, the idea that other places would love to have the Bills, was mentioned by the team in their proposal to local government.
Evidently one of the places the Pegulas are referring to is Austin, Texas.
As referenced via the ESPN report, and as Bills Wire made note of in our earlier coverage of the stadium’s potential funding, it appears the Pegulas are building up their side of the argument to get as much money as possible from New York State to help them build a new stadium.
Reports over the past few weeks have indicated that the team has decided to build a brand new stadium where the current one, Highmark Stadium, stands. That venue’s lease with the team for its usage currently tied down through 2023. Erie County owns the Orchard Park venue.
The negotiating for a new stadium has certainly now gone into a higher gear.
At this time the potential relocation of the Bills does seem very unlikely. These negotiations are very, very early on.
Bills Wire will continue to follow the stadium topic as it unfolds. Check back for future updates.
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