Sabres owner says 2 lost seasons were successful for future

BUFFALO, N.Y. (AP) — Buffalo Bills owner Terry Pegula says the team is in no rush to build a new stadium or sell naming rights to its current home.

Pegula made the statement during a Business First sponsored panel presentation by sports team owners. We’ve realized if that work was just done how foolish would you look if you started looking around at a new stadium if we just renovated the one we have.

The Bills 10-year lease with Erie County at Ralph Wilson Stadium runs through the 2022 season. “We have time. We have an existing lease in the current stadium”. A major renovation of Ralph Wilson Stadium or construction of a new stadium next door were options.

There was a lot of excitement in Buffalo at the beginning of the year when a site study recommended three possible new stadium locations in the city of Buffalo. He simply responded “no”. Terry Pegula acknowledged that need when he purchased the team with his wife Kim in 2014 but said Thursday he has time.

A couple rough seasons in the service of a long-term goal can make sense, but the success of the Sabres’ rebuilding effort will be measured by how they do going forward. That drew laughs from the crowd.

“The only answer to that question is the state and county, there’s been a lot of money put into Ralph Wilson Stadium”, Pegula said, via the Buffalo News.

“I’m very cognizant of the fact that Ralph Wilson owned the Bills for so long and his name on the stadium is to me right now a special thing”, said Pegula.