Bills fans can say bye to Highmark Stadium on Sunday. But don't try to take it home with you
The Erie County Sheriff's Office says police will be on alert at Sunday's final regular-season game at Highmark Stadium for Buffalo Bills fans trying to snag an illegal souvenir.
Parting is sweet sorrow already. Don't make it worse with a criminal charge.
That's Erie County Sheriff John C. Garcia's message to Buffalo Bills fans at the final regular-season contest at Highmark Stadium who are thinking about snagging an unauthorized souvenir or running onto the field after the game.
The Sheriff's Office warns added security measures are set for Sunday's game against the New York Jets. Deputies, state troopers, Orchard Park police and team security will prioritize preventing thefts of stadium property and keeping fans away from the field, Garcia said.
“This game will be just as meaningful for our deputies as it is for Bills Mafia, as this stadium holds a special place in our hearts," he said in a statement. "But we will not be distracted or deterred from providing quality public safety services for fans attending Sunday’s game.”
Buffalo Bills cornerback Christian Benford (47) celebrates his pick six with fans during the fourth quarter at Highmark Stadium in Orchard Park on Dec. 7.
The team will play its final regular season home game there on Sunday and police are warning fans not to try to steal any stadium memorabilia during or after the game. Derek Gee/Buffalo News
It's possible, though unlikely, the Bills could host a playoff game at Highmark, making Sunday the probable final game in the stadium in Orchard Park the Bills have called home since 1973.
The team this fall is set to move across the road to the new Highmark Stadium now under construction.
For anyone looking to take part of the old stadium home with them, there's a legal way to do just that. The Bills, Erie County and a third-party consultant have started to list turf pieces, goalpost sections and stadium seats for sale online.
"I don't believe we're going to sell 70,000 seats. But the Bills are probably going to sell quite a bit, because this is our biggest thing that everybody's been asking (about)," William Geary, Erie County's public works commissioner, said at a County Legislature committee hearing in November.
The Sheriff's Office said it will rely on vast numbers of uniformed and undercover law enforcement personnel, along with video surveillance technology, to watch for fan misconduct Sunday. Police will pay particular attention to anyone trying to steal a seat, sign or some other stadium token, as well as to fans trying to get onto the field one last time, Garcia said.
A news release from the Sheriff's Office highlighted the various charges that could apply, such as criminal mischief, petit or grand larceny and criminal trespass.
Perhaps more significantly, the sheriff said fans charged under these circumstances risk having their ticket privileges for the new Highmark Stadium revoked.
Has anyone already been caught this season trying to pilfer a piece of the stadium? Yes, according to Sheriff's Office spokesperson Chris Horvatits. Three fans are accused of attempting to steal cupholders during two September home games, Horvatits told The Buffalo News. The three, all in their 30s, face petit larceny charges.
"We have seen a bit of an uptick the last few games of damaged seats and people doing silly things that gets them in trouble, ejected, arrested," Andy Major, the Bills' senior vice president of venue operations and fan experience, said at the Legislature committee hearing. "So we want to get out in front of that part of it, too."
The Sheriff's Office urged fans to take the lawful route in collecting stadium memories.
Erie County and the Bills are working with CollectibleXchange, an entity of Legends Global founded by the former owner of Steiner Sports, to salvage assets from the stadium, recondition them and make them available for sale once the season is over.
The "old" Highmark Stadium with the new stadium under construction in the background. Bills fans at Sunday's final regular-season contest
should think twice about snagging an unauthorized souvenir or running onto the field after the game. Harry Scull, Buffalo News
Net revenue from the sales will be split 50-50 between the county and CollectibleXchange.
On Friday, the Bills store listed various items available for sale to season ticketholders through pre-order. Two seats from the lower bowl cost $650, while a pair of bleacher seats costs $550, both not including shipping.
There are pieces of Highmark turf in various forms, such as a $100 doormat. And there are slices of the stadium goalposts available for sale − though most, like a $110 pencil holder, are sold out.
"There's a lot of optimism, for Bills Mafia and the fan base, to get excited around this program," Major told county lawmakers in November.
So it may be tempting to try to cut out the middleman and snatch some free stadium memorabilia on Sunday.
But officials implore fans caught up in the emotions of the day to leave their hearts − and their seats − at Highmark.