ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. — Gov. Andrew Cuomo said the state is working quite actively to see if fans can be allowed back in Bills Stadium in Orchard Park.

What You Need To Know

  • Gov. Cuomo says he will tour Bills Stadium with Bills brass and meet with engineers to see if they can safely host fans
  • In-person fans have not been permitted at professional sporting events in New York state
  • The Bills’ newest proposal asks for 7,000 fans, timed entry/exits, and no tailgating
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It's been a rollercoaster week for fans of the professional football team who want to see that happen. Erie County Executive Mark Poloncarz said Monday the county believed it was safe for the organization to admit roughly 7,000 of fans.

Tuesday, the team released a statement announcing there was no change to the protocols that had been in place for the first two home games, and there would be no spectators for the "foreseeable future."

However, Wednesday the governor said the state has engineers looking at the situation to see if something can be worked out.

"I'm a big Bills fan myself as you know, and we're excited about the season, so I am 100 percent eager to get fans back to the games," he said.

Cuomo said he has personally spoken with the NFL commissioner who expressed that the biggest issue is moving fans in and out of the games. He said the stadium's are big enough to socially distance a limited amount of fans once they're in the facility.

"It's something we're looking at seriously," Cuomo said. "I'm going to go out and take the tour of the stadium and meet with the team leadership and talk it through."

The governor did not say how soon he will be in Western New York. The next home game is in primetime on October 15 against the defending Super Bowl champion Kansas City Chiefs.

The organization would need time to sell tickets if it got the okay. Cuomo said a complicating factor is that Western New York has a higher COVID infection rate than some other parts of the state. 

Wednesday, he said it was at 1.3 percent.