Ralph Wilson Stadium (colloquially known asThe Ralph) is a defunctstadium inOrchard Park, New York, in theSouthtowns of theBuffalo metropolitan area. It served as the home venue of theBuffalo Bills of theNational Football League (NFL) from 1973 to 2025. The stadium opened in1973 asRich Stadium and remained that until1998. It was known asRalph Wilson Stadium from1998 to2015,New Era Field from2016 to2019,Bills Stadium in2020, andHighmark Stadium from2021 until its closure following the2025 season. The stadium is set to be demolished in March 2027.
An original franchise of theAmerican Football League (AFL) in1960, the Buffalo Bills played their first 13 seasons atWar Memorial Stadium, a multi-useWPA project stadium that opened in 1938,[4][5] located on Buffalo'sEast Side. While suitable for AFL play in the 1960s, the "Rockpile" (as the stadium came to be nicknamed), was in disrepair and with a capacity of under 47,000, undersized for a National Football League (NFL) team. The league mandate instituted after theAFL–NFL merger of1970 dictated a minimum of 50,000 seats.
In early 1971, owner Ralph Wilson was exploring options to relocate the team, possibly toSeattle,[6][7][8] with other cities such asMemphis andTampa soon expressing interest as well.[9] The potential loss of the team hastened the stadium project[10] and Rich Stadium opened in1973.[11] The location and construction of the stadium inErie County were the source of years oflitigation,[12] which ended with a financial settlement for a developer who had planned to erect a domed stadium inLancaster.[10][13] However, plans changed, driven by a desire to avoid being too close toLancaster High School.[14] The stadium was ultimately built by Frank Schoenle and hisconstruction company. Bonds were approved by the county legislature in September 1971.[15][16][17]
In 1972,Rich Products, a Buffalo-based food products company, signed a 25-year, $1.5 million deal ($60,000 per year), by which the venue would be called "Rich Stadium"; one of the earliest examples of the sale ofnaming rights in North American sports.[18] (The name was somewhat of a compromise, after Bills owner and founderRalph Wilson rejected the name Rich wanted to use to promote itsnon-dairy creamer, "Coffee Rich Park.")[19] By a vote of 16–4, the county legislature approved the name in November 1972,[20] despite a matching offer from Wilson to name it "Buffalo Bills Stadium."[21][22][23]
When the Bills organization regularly referred to the stadium without the "Rich" name, Rich Products brought a $7.5 million lawsuit against the team in1976.[24] After the original deal expired after a quarter century in 1998, the stadium was renamed in honor of Wilson. Rich Products balked at paying a greatly increased rights fee,[25] which would have brought the price up to par with other NFL stadiums.
On August 13, 2016, Buffalo-basedNew Era Cap Company and the Bills reached a seven-year, $35 million agreement for stadium naming rights.[26][27] The Bills and New Era officially announced the stadium's new name ofNew Era Field five days later, on August 18, 2016.[28]
On July 15, 2020, the Bills announced that New Era Cap asked to be released from their naming rights and sponsorship deal, and the two sides agreed on terms to terminate the contract. The statement referred to the venue only as "the stadium", and the Bills' website scrubbed all references to New Era.[29] Under the terms of the 2012 lease agreement, in addition to Erie County having to approve any new stadium name as the stadium's legal owners, thegovernment of the state of New York would also have aveto; the clause was inserted to quashambush marketing attempts. Under this clause, Erie County executive Mark Poloncarz rejected a naming rights bid by minitoilet maker Tushy Bidets, saying that any name that "embarrasses the community" would not even be considered regardless of the size of the bid.[30] Signs bearing the "New Era Field" name were removed beginning July 24.[31] On August 20, the team announced they would temporarily use the nameBills Stadium until they found a new naming-rights partner.[32]
On March 29, 2021, the team announced that the stadium’s new name would beHighmark Stadium after reaching a 10-year agreement withHighmark Blue Cross Blue Shield of Western New York.[33][34]
A look at the newly renovated stadium in December 2014. The two new HD video boards and new LED sponsor board are visible on the tunnel end of the stadium
The stadium is open-air, with a capacity of 71,870.[35] It has never had a natural grass surface;AstroTurf was installed in the stadium upon its opening in 1973. The first renovation occurred in 1984 when the stadium's capacity was increased to 80,290 with the addition of 16 executive suites.
Eight years later in 1992, 24 more executive suites were added. In 1994, major renovations were made to the stadium including the addition of the Red Zone and Goal Line clubs that are enclosed in glass and have 500 seats. These renovations also added 14 executive suites. A massive $9.1 million (inflation adjusted) 41.5 by 31.5 feet (12.6 by 9.6 m)SonyJumboTron video scoreboard was a major update in 1994 and was the largest in the U.S. at the time. In 1998, $57 million were spent to refit the stadium with larger seats and moreluxury andclub seating as a part of the Bills lease renewal withErie County.[25] This caused theseating capacity to be reduced to just under 74,000.
In the 2003 offseason, the original style turf was replaced with a newer AstroTurf product, AstroTurf GameDay Grass (also known as AstroPlay). The lease agreement also stipulated Erie County would continue to upgrade the stadium; in the summer of 2007, a newHDMitsubishiLED board measuring 88.8 by 32.5 feet (27.1 by 9.9 m) was installed and replaced the 13-year-old Sony Jumbotron. Over 1,000 feet (300 m) ofMitsubishiDiamond VisionLED Ribbon Boards were also installed in the interior during that renovation. The total cost for the 2007 project was $5.2 million, In 2011, the Bills changed their turf to a new product, A-Turf Titan, produced by a Western New York company. As of the 2023 season, Buffalo is the only NFL stadium using the A-Turf Titan product.[36]
On December 21, 2012, the lease negotiations between the Bills, Erie County, and the state of New York ended with the Bills signing a ten-year lease to stay in Buffalo until 2023.[37] The agreement included $130 million in improvements to New Era Field. Renovations included new larger entrance gates, larger HD sponsor boards added to each side of the video scoreboard, two new 33.6 by 59.84 feet (10.24 by 18.24 m) HD video boards, larger LED sponsor board added on the tunnel end of the stadium, expanded concessions, new team store, and redesign of areas and lots just outside the entrance gates. In addition, a life-sized statue of team founderRalph Wilson was posthumously added to a new area outside the team store called "Founder's Plaza" in 2015.[38]
Buffalo, by virtue of its position downwind ofLake Erie, is one of the nation's windiest cities, and as a result, Highmark Stadium is difficult forkickers, with swirling winds that change direction rapidly. This is exacerbated by the stadium's design. The field is 50 feet (15 m) below ground level, while the top of the upper deck stands only 60 feet (18 m) above ground. The open end lies parallel to the direction of the prevailing winds, so when the winds come in, they immediately drop down into the bowl, causing the stadium's signature wind patterns.
The first NFL game at the stadium was on September 30, 1973, a 9–7 victory against theNew York Jets. The first NFL playoff game at the stadium came in the1988 season, a 17–10 Bills victory over theHouston Oilers on January 1, 1989. The Bills won every ensuing playoff game at the stadium until they were defeated on December 28,1996 by theJacksonville Jaguars. They would not lose another playoff game at the stadium until January 22, 2023, when they lost 27–10 in the AFC Divisional Round against theCincinnati Bengals. The stadium hosted theAFC Championship Game in 1991, 1992, and 1994.
The Bills defeated each of the 31 other teams there at least once and were unbeaten there against three teams: theArizona Cardinals (5–0),Green Bay Packers (7–0), andTampa Bay Buccaneers (4–0), who visited the stadium for the final time on November 16, 2025.
The final game at the original stadium was held January 4, 2026, the team's regular season finale against theNew York Jets. A closing ceremony was held as part of the festivities, including the Bills wearing redthrowback helmets, a musical montage and fireworks display featuring "Iris" by theGoo Goo Dolls, "What a Wonderful World" byLouis Armstrong, one last performance of the Shout! song, appearances by several Bills alumni, and a pre-recorded statement from former coach and general managerMarv Levy.[39][40]
The size of the field at Highmark Stadium is specifically designed for National Football League dimensions and sight lines, along with football and team markings being formed permanently into the turf, making it extremely difficult for other outdoor sporting events such assoccer,baseball,track and field, orrugby to be held there. None of any significance have ever been held at the stadium.
Syracuse University played two home games at the stadium in1979. Syracuse was left without an on-campus home for one season between the demolition ofArchbold Stadium and the construction of theCarrier Dome on its footprint.
Bob Seger, Yes, J. Geils Band, and Donovan all performed at Rich Stadium in Orchard Park, NY, for the "Superfest 12" event on August 20, 1977, a massive all-day concert featuring an iconic lineup of rock legends that drew huge crowdsNearly 30 concerts have been held at the stadium, starting in 1974 withEric Clapton andThe Band.
Several bands have played the stadium multiple times, includingThe Rolling Stones, who played there in 1975, 1978, 1981, 1997, and 2015.
TheGrateful Dead played the stadium five times including 7/4/86, 7/4/89, 7/16/90, 6/6/92, and 6/13/93 with their July 4, 1989Truckin' Up to Buffalo performance being documented on Vinyl, CD, and DVD.
Double and multi-billed concerts have also been scheduled at the stadium.
There were notable large concerts that were scheduled to take place at the stadium but were later canceled.Led Zeppelin was set to perform at the stadium on their1977 North American Tour. The concert was one of the seven remaining concerts on the tour that were canceled due to the death of lead singerRobert Plant's son. ABruce Springsteen concert, that was originally scheduled at the stadium in 2003, was moved to the smaller Darien Lake Performing Arts Center due to low ticket sales.
Concert appearances began to wane in the 1990s at the stadium, which ended with Dave Matthews Band and NSYNC each playing a concert in June 2001, with no more concerts at the stadium for 14 years. This was due to the combination of a declining number ofstadium rock acts, population decline, and the availability of other, more intimate, venues inWestern New York such as Artpark inLewiston,Darien Lake Performing Arts Center inCorfu, theThursday at the Square series among others,Seneca Niagara Casino, and theKeyBank Center, which opened in 1996, replacingBuffalo Memorial Auditorium in downtown Buffalo.
Autocross racing events are held in one of the stadium's parking lots during the spring, summer, and fall months. The local WNYSCCA Chapter hosts the autocrosses.
Since the Bills moved from War Memorial Stadium into Ralph Wilson Stadium, it has been noted that the team has not won a championship and has had frequent periods of heartbreak, including four Super Bowl losses in a row. Several writers have owed this to the fact that the stadium is built just yards away from a family cemetery as part of territory once owned by the Sheldon Family. A plaque just outside the stadium at the gates graces the cemetery and also notes that the stadium was built on the site of an ancientWenro village.[72][73][74]
R. Minetor,Cursed in New York: Stories of the Damned in the Empire State, Globe Pequot Press, 2015. Includes a section about the stadium's potential "curse"
†= Team's stadium under construction or refurbishment at time 1 = A team used the stadium when their permanent stadium was unable to be used as a result of damage.
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