ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. — There’s been a ‘snow’ shortage of questions about how the Buffalo Bills will handle the inevitable challenge of cleaning up after lake effect storms once their new stadium is finished.
Over the years and in recent weeks the team has called on fans to help out and hundreds responded as a rite of passage.
But with a $1 billion-plus stadium on the horizon, 2 On Your Side inquired: Are the Bills looking at other options?
“We're always looking at all kinds of technology,” said Andy Major, Vice President of Operations for the team.
Major said the Bills have talked with the Green Bay Packers, Pittsburgh Steelers, and the New England Patriots about snow removal.
“You know we're not going to tell them our playbook of course but we're going to share best practices like we always do,” Major said.
Those best practices for the Patriots have included hiring contractors since Gillette Stadium was built although in the past when the team played at Foxborough Stadium fans helped out.
2 On Your Side contacted the Denver Broncos and Chicago Bears about their efforts but have not heard back.
The reality Major explained is, “Usually, those cities are actually asking us because we're the ones who get 7 feet of snow, where else do you get 7 feet of snow.”
The Bills hired dozens of contractors and had their staff working 24/7 to get the seats and field ready for Sunday. Front loaders and skid steers darted around outside and inside of the stadium.
Fans assisted in the efforts of shoveling snow down centrally located chutes running down to the field.
The Bills aren’t unique in calling on fans to assist nowadays.
The Green Bay Packers have long asked shovelers to show up and help out as recently as 2020 and just like Buffalo they take pride in it.
In recent years, however, snow blower manufacturer Ariens has built custom machines to assist Lambeau Field staff. The snow throwers/blowers are narrow in construction and can fit in between the benches.
“I mean we look at snow blowers, shovelers, equipment, what kind of different technologies can we use but at the end of the day, you need people you need people. They need to manage the technology, they got to run the tractors, they've got to shovel the snow,” said Major.
The Bills operations team is betting that less snow will make it into their new stadium Major said, even when it’s windy. A canopy is set to cover around 65% of bowl seating according to stadium design firm Populous. The field will also be heated.
Major didn’t commit to any one idea during his interview with local media but in reality, still has 2 years until that decision needs to be made.
“But absolutely we are always looking at other technologies for us."