The Buffalo Bills will have a fascinating home advantage like no other when they move into their new stadium.
In 2026, the Buffalo Bills will move into New Highmark Stadium. It will sit across from the team’s current venue, Highmark Stadium, and beside the south campus of Erie Community College.
When the Bills eventually move into their new stadium, an incredibly unique advantage will await Sean McDermott and company.
Tyler Webb explained in an X/Twitter thread about the design and technology of New Highmark Stadium that will provide a key advantage for the AFC East club. To deal with the freezing and frequently windy conditions, the Bills will have heating, irrigation and SubAir systems under their playing surface.
This will help slow down the wind and make field goal attempts that much easier for the home team, namely kicker Tyler Bass:
Last week, I talked about the design and technology the Bills are using to keep fans dry from snow and rain even though there’s no roof over their new stadium.
— Tyler Webb (@tylermwebb) January 14, 2025
But it turns out that only solves half of the problem.
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Well, for starters, the Bills will be installing the same technology under their natural grass field as the Green Bay Packers, which will feature wirelessly controlled:
— Tyler Webb (@tylermwebb) January 14, 2025
• Heating
• Irrigation
• SubAir systems
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This will ensure that the playing surface remains soft and above freezing temperatures during games, but just a heated field won’t keep players or fans warm.
— Tyler Webb (@tylermwebb) January 14, 2025
For that, the team relies on these vertical, perforated steel panels that will line the outside of the new stadium.
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They’re designed so that as wind rushes against the stadium, it either gets slowed down as it flows through these holes or it gets pushed up along the lined panels and over the stadium.
— Tyler Webb (@tylermwebb) January 14, 2025
This creates what one engineer described as an “air bubble” over the open field.
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The result will be little to no wind felt by fans or players inside the stadium, which might help take the Bills' all-time team field goal percentage from 21st in the NFL to the top 10.
— Tyler Webb (@tylermwebb) January 14, 2025
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Josh Allen led the Buffalo Bills to a 31-7 blowout victory over the Denver Broncos on Wild Card Weekend, sending them to the AFC Divisional Round for the fifth straight year. Buffalo will host the Baltimore Ravens on Sunday (6:30 p.m. EST) with a trip to the AFC title game on the line.
Highmark Stadium is currently the fourth-oldest active NFL venue, behind Soldier Field (Chicago Bears, opened in 1924), Lambeau Field (Green Bay Packers, opened in 1957) and Arrowhead Stadium (Kansas City Chiefs, opened in 1972).
Buffalo Bills Look To End Highmark Stadium Era On Beautiful Note
There has been no shortage of epic memories at Highmark Stadium, ranging from “The Comeback” (the 1992 playoff comeback win over the Houston Oilers), to the three AFC Championship banners to the five Wild Card Round wins in the Josh Allen era.
For long-suffering Bills fans, nothing would be sweeter than ending the last two seasons of the Highmark Stadium era with at least one Super Bowl championship celebration. The Bills are one-quarter of the way there and need just three more wins to bring the franchise its first title.
