If you're not a Bills fan, trying to architect a weekend trip to one of the league's smaller cities - and one that's a two-or-more-hour plane ride for anyone west of the Mississippi - is asking a lot.
But, those that make the trip are rewarded with one of football's more captivating gameday environments.
Opened: 1971
City: Orchard Park, New York
Capacity: 71,608
Visited: Oct 2022
Location
When traveling to Buffalo, you may be tempted to stay downtown - or spend some time further north exploring the beautiful Niagara Falls.
Just be prepared to rent a car.
The home of the Bills is in the middle of no where. It's stationed in Orchard Park, roughly 10 miles southeast of downtown, with the team's practice facility parked directly next door. There are no real public transportation options aside from ride sharing and, to make matters worse, gameday congestion around the stadium will drive up the meter as you get within a quarter mile of the stadium.
The rural location makes for an interesting drive in though: one moment, you're in the middle of farmland, the next you're surrounded by blue and red signage. Plentiful green space lends well to a robust tailgating scene on gameday, one of the hallmarks of Buffalo football. In the heart of Bills' tailgate village is Prohibition 2020, a fantastic sports bar and restaurant where fans attending a 4 PM or Sunday Night game can catch the earlier slate of NFL games.
Score: 2/5
Venue
Built in an era that pre-dates titanic-sized upper decks and flashy jumbrons, Highmark Stadium's design is about as basic as they come.
The structure is very similar to that of the Rose Bowl: flat with a playing field that sits beneath the pedestrian surface by maybe 50 feet or so. There is a single, lower-level corridor that wraps around the stadium's perimeter that leaves few spacious areas to congregate other than behind the scoreboard on the northwestern side of the stadium.
For such an ordinary stadium design, the stadium crew does a great job of turning into a rich experience on gameday. During night games a large portion of the 200-level seats are lit with a red tint that looks spectacular during the starting lineup ritual and - when combined with the stadium's blue seats - portrays Bills colors.
Score: 2/5
Accommodations
A good portion of the true Highmark experience resides outside the stadium gates: pro shops, food trucks, beer, etc. As such, what's inside is pretty much the no-frills version of what you've experienced at places like AT&T Stadium.
Highmark Stadium offers a very modest set of food and drink options but the prices are, predictably, affordable. As of October 2022, the stadium lacked the self-checkout option that more modern NFL stadiums have adopted. As such, the wait time for placing an order and paying can be...suboptimal.
Given its basic architecture, the covered areas of the stadium - particularly its lower-level corridor - can get very crowded prior to kickoff and during breaks from the game. You can escape this mayhem by migrating to the few open-air spots within the stadium gates - at your own risk during the winter months.
If you're looking for souvenirs, you'll want to schedule a shopping excursion prior to kickoff. The stadium has some small pro shops inside, but the main one - "The Bills Store" - is detached from the stadium's interior, sitting behind the main jumbrotron.
Score: 2/5
Atmosphere
When the Bills are good, there may not be a more electric football environment in the entire AFC than in Orchard Park.
All along Abbott Road (on the western side of the stadium) is a breath-taking display of tailgating, food trucks and merchandise stands that start gameday many, many hours prior to kickoff. The seemingly endless rows of tents, grills and pickup games help a visiting fan realize why Buffalo is content with this deliberately remote football setting - and why the Bills' new home is just across the street.
Most impressive, the turnout by Bills Mafia is always agnostic of weather and the team's record.
Bills fans have been through a lot, but they are loyal and their constant presence around Highmark Stadium shows it. Like most fan bases, they can become rowdy toward opposing fans when inebriated. But, their loud and erratic behavior tends to be directed at the game, passionately immersed in every snap.
Rituals inside the stadium include the Bills' version of "Shout," which, admittedly, can become nauseating after multiple renditions in a single half of football. During the later months of the season, the fan festivities often extend to snowballs being thrown onto the field of play.
Score: 5/5
Stadium Score: 2.8 / 5