The Buffalo Bills are currently in the process of getting plans together for a brand new stadium. And with time becoming an issue with a stadium lease expiration date coming up in 2023. With a new stadium not expected to be ready until at least two years after that lease expiration, the Bills are reportedly evaluating all potential backup plans to play “home” games in other venues. One of the venues mentioned has been Penn State’s Beaver Stadium.
According to a report from Thas Brown of WROC, the Bills are exploring potential stadium options for Bills home games in Beaver Stadium and in Toronto as a temporary home, or perhaps temporary homes.
From the WROC report;
However, the team is prepared to consider other options for home games. News 8 has been told that Toronto and Penn State are both possibilities for the Bills should they need a temporary home. It’s still a path the Bills would undoubtedly prefer to avoid.
This would certainly be a worst-case scenario for the Bills. Playing home games nearly four hours away in the middle of Pennsylvania is far from an ideal situation for the Bills. Toronto is significantly closer to Buffalo, but that is still an hour and a half away and requires traveling across the border. But again, these are worst-case scenarios for the Bills. It is very much expected the Bills will be able to work out a deal to continue using their current home until a new stadium is ready to be opened. It makes too much sense for all parties involved.
The Penn State connection is not surprising, however. Obviously, Beaver Stadium has a seating capacity to host an NFL game with a seating capacity that is roughly 35,000 seats more than Buffalo’s Highmark Stadium. And by the time the Bills would have to play games in Beaver Stadium, Penn State should have completed some facility upgrades to the stadium to make Beaver Stadium more accommodating for fans.
Penn State is also an expected option to be explored given the relationship between the university and Bills ownership. The Bills are owned by Terry and Kim Pegula. The Pegulas have been highly invested in the growth of Penn State’s hockey program. The Pegulas donated $102 million to the university for the construction of the Pegula Ice Center, helping to allow Penn State to grow its club teams into full-fledged NCAA sports. Terry Pegula is a Penn State graduate.
If NFL expands schedule, will Steelers and Eagles play in Penn State’s Beaver Stadium?
The discussion about Beaver Stadium potentially hosting any NFL game is nothing new. The expansion of the NFL’s regular-season schedule has opened the door to a possible neutral-site game for the Pittsburgh Steelers and Philadelphia Eagles. Surely, Pegula would revel in the opportunity to see the Bills take the field in Beaver Stadium as well. But Penn State has suggested in recent years that updating Beaver Stadium first is essential before hosting any marquee events outside of Penn State football, specifically referring to an event like the NHL’s Winter Classic or Stadium Series. Former Penn State running back and current Philadelphia Eagles running back Miles Sanders said he would love to see a Super Bowl in Beaver Stadium.
But the Bills in Beaver Stadium? File it under the category of “Sure, it could happen.”
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