ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. — Fans will not be allowed at Buffalo Bills home games for the "foreseeable future,” the team announced Tuesday.

What You Need To Know

  • The Bills announced Tuesday that fans will not be allowed at home games for the "foreseeable future"

  • Bills Mafia members tell Spectrum News they're in disbelief

  • Some say this was the first year they bought season tickets
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The Bills said this decision was because New York State COVID-19 protocols have not changed.

Fans say they're in disbelief that they might not be able to see a football tossed around in Bills Stadium all season.

"It's disappointing, especially when we have a team that probably is giving us the best chance to go deep into the playoffs potentially the Super Bowl in a couple of decades," Brad Nasca said.

Whether it was their first time buying season tickets or their seventh, the disappointment is evident.

"Bought it two weeks prior to the COVID announcement so yes, I'm extremely upset. I thought it would be over by now but I guess it's not," Kevin Schwartz said.

"I've had season tickets with the Bills for seven years, we sit in section 312 and its looking very empty right now," Dante Tuzzolino said.

The Bills released a statement Tuesday saying "At the end of August we announced we would not be having fans for the first two games of our season based on guidance from the New York State Department of Health, there has been no change to those protocols and fans will not be able to attended home Bills games for the foreseeable future."

On Monday, Erie County Executive Mark Poloncarz had said he thought fans could be allowed in filling the stadium up to 10-percent capacity if proper precautions were taken. Poloncarz said there have been numerous conversations between the county, the Bills, and New York State.

Governor Andrew Cuomo said that this is something he and his team are looking it, adding that the high COVID-19 positivity rate in Western New York is a complicating factor. 

He adds that plans are in the works for him to come to Orchard Park to tour Bills Stadium and meet with team officials:

“It’s something we’re looking at. I spoke to the commissioner. I understand the plans they’re working on. We have a complicating factor in WNY due to a higher infection rate than other parts of the state and we’ve had the caution flag up in Western New York, so we’re trying to get the infection rate down. It’s something we’re looking at seriously.

"I’m going to go out and tour the stadium and meet with team leadership and talk it through. Is there a way, with the design of the stadium, get people in and out without causing a gathering? The commissioner’s point is you can seat people socially distant, they have some stadiums where they’re doing like 5,000 people. 5,000 people if you do socially distant, you spread them out, that’d be fine. The question is getting in and out of the stadium without being in a mass gathering or crowding.

"That becomes more of a question of a particular stadium.

"Some stadiums have more egress than others. I understand. I’m a big Bills fan myself as you know and we’re excited about this season. So I am 100% eager to get fans back to the games but I am going to go meet with the team leadership, tour the stadium, we have some engineers looking at the situation now and see if there’s a way we can work it out.

"I’m eager to work it out but again with safety a complicating factor, the overall infection rate in Western New York. But we’re working on it, we’re working on it actively.”

—Gov. Andrew Cuomo

Fans tell Spectrum News that even though they won't be jumping out of a stadium seat for future touchdowns, they say they're willing to make that sacrifice if it helps get rid of the coronavirus.

"If this is what it takes to get COVID out of Western New York, Buffalo, America, then fine. If we have to miss one season then fine," Schwartz added.

"I know the Bills would really appreciate Bills Mafia and some support out there, but with the understanding that we want to stay socially distanced 7,000 fans doesn't seem like too much," Tuzzolino said.

The Bills’ next home game is on October 15 against the Kansas City Chiefs.