While Austin, Texas, has been floated as a potential landing spot for the Buffalo Bills amid the team's prolonged attempts to secure a new stadium in Western New York, multiple team and league sources were adamant that no work has been done investigating any other sites and the entire focus of this endeavor is to build a new facility near the current one.
The NFL views the small-market team as a regional foothold, and sources said owners Terry and Kim Pegula have never raised the specter of Austin or any other city with commissioner Roger Goodell or any other league official. The Bills have not done any studies on Austin or any other potential site, and all the sources indicated there is actually a sense of optimism that a long-term home can be found in Orchard Park.
The matter is expected to be part of the agenda at the next NFL owner's meeting in October, and Bills ownership is likely to keep pushing to make this a front-burner issue for the state and local government in New York. "This has been going on for decades when you go back to (former owner) Ralph Wilson," said one source with direct knowledge of the situation. "There has to be a sense of urgency for all parties to finally get it resolved."
The recent gubernatorial change in New York was actually met with excitement by those involved in this deal. New Gov. Kathy Hochul has strong ties to Western New York and strong relationships with many in the Bills organization who will be directly working on this deal, causing further optimism that a deal could get done in Buffalo. That is echoed in the league office, sources said.
It's also worth noting that as recently as 2012-13 the state of New York was willing to work with Wilson on a new stadium project there, but at the time he did not want a lease beyond seven to 10 years, and opted not to delve in. The Pegulas are in a very different place right now. Of course, this process includes some wrangling and saber-rattling at times, as this is a high-stakes, big-money project. It tends to get a little ugly at times. But it is difficult for many experts and those intimately involved in this process to see the Bills leaving Buffalo.
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