By Daily Mail (U.S.) | Created at 2026-08-17 20:49:58 | Updated at 2026-08-18 04:07:59
8 hours ago
The Buffalo Bills' new $2.2 billion stadium has been hit with even more problems after hosting its first NFL game over the weekend.
The franchise opened the doors to its state-of-the-art stadium in Orchard Park for a practice session earlier this month, giving fans their first glimpse of the new Highmark Stadium.
However, the grand reveal left fans in uproar as attendees shared videos and photos demonstrating severely compromised views of the playing field.
And now, after opting to ditch artificial turf and go with grass in their new arena, the field has become the subject of complaints.
The grass was a major talking point in the wake of the Bills' 29-14 preseason win over the Carolina Panthers on Saturday.
One unnamed player told The Athletic: 'The field is a** right now. But it's early.'
The grass field at the Bills' new stadium caused complaints among player son Saturday
One play caused a 'massive clump' of grass to become dislodged and it flew up into the air
One play caused a 'massive clump' of grass to become dislodged and it flew into the air. Bills quartet Josh Allen, DJ Moore, Dion Dawkins and Spencer Brown were forced to attempt to put it back into place.
Another player added the field was 'soft, but not in a good way.'
It was not all criticism, however. Bills linebacker Dorian Williams defended the field and insisted it was preferable to artificial turf.
'The grass looked good,' he added. 'It was cool. A couple spots kind of chunked up a little bit, but it's better than playing on turf.
'The kinks will keep getting worked out. You can see some of the grass kind of mound up and guys knocking it back down, but I've had no traction problems so far.'
Following the first event at the stadium on August 8, several posts racking up millions of views showed lower-level seats, including those near the 50-yard line, partially obstructed with paneling.
Meanwhile, fans in the upper deck revealed staircase railings and glass partitions blocking sight lines to much of the field and end zones.
Substantial frustration was also directed at personal seat licenses (PSLs) and expensive lower-tier seats, where standing platforms completely blocked the view of the opposite side of the field for many spectators.
Josh Allen and the Bills played their first game in their new stadium against the Panthers
The grand reveal left fans in uproar over severely compromised views of the playing field
Some supporters claimed they felt misled by franchise representatives, alleging that they had been explicitly assured that railings and safety barriers seen in virtual venue tours would not impede real-life sightlines.
Yet, Populous' Americas practice, the New York-based architecture firm behind the build, later admitted that the flaws were unavoidable.
Jonathan Mallie, the firm's global director and managing director, told The Buffalo News that the goal had been to design a stadium that would create a heightened atmosphere and brings fans as close to the field as possible.
However he insists, that to ensure compliance with building code standards, certain aspects could not be avoided.
'You will find some level of obstruction in every stadium in the world,' Mallie told the outlet.
'The goal was to bring everybody closer to the field and create an upper deck with an incredible proximity and presence within the bowl to help create a next level experience for Bills Mafia,' he added.
Mallie also explained that NFL stadiums are now required to follow stricter safety code requirements than the older builds around the league.
Populous also designed the stadium to allow for larger concourses to afford greater flow and more space for spectators passing through.
