Bills Mafia takes first steps inside new Highmark Stadium

BUFFALO, N.Y. — Bills Mafia got to take their first steps inside the new Highmark Stadium on Saturday.

Thousands of fans packed the new home of the Bills for the Return of the Blue and Red practice — taking in the new surroundings, and watching their team hit the field.

Fans waited years for this moment, but it finally came to fruition.

For many Bills fans who arrived early to tailgate, the excitement wasn’t just about seeing a new stadium. It was about what the Bills and this community have always represented — family.

“Mafia just means family, right? Bills fan Angelo Gagliano said. “And being Italian, I love to cook for people. I love inviting people in, people I’ve never met. I don’t care if you root for another team. Come on over, let me feed you.”

And that family was on full display outside the new Highmark Stadium — with music, food and football in every direction you looked. But with the anticipation of walking through the gates, fans were ready to see what this place had to offer.

And for some fans, it was almost too good to believe. After three years of watching the new stadium take shape, they were finally standing on the entry lines — about to experience the first Bills public event in their new home.

And while this stadium represents the future of Bills football, one fan was reminded of where it all started.

“It feels amazing that I’m here at Highmark Stadium, because I was here 50 years ago for the opening of what was Rich Stadium,” Bills fan Steve Obeltz said.

And that was just the first big taste of what Bills Mafia can expect inside the new Highmark Stadium. The Bills will open their preseason schedule at home next Saturday afternoon against the Panthers, with kickoff set for 1 p.m.