Ralph Wilson Stadium, formerly named Rich Stadium, is the exclusive home field to the NFL's Buffalo Bills. Located in Orchard Park, a Buffalo suburb, it is the largest stadium in New York State. The first game held at Ralph Wilson Stadium was between the Bills and the Washington Redskins. Ralph Wilson Stadium, also known as "the Ralph'', became the home of the Buffalo Bills in order to replace the old Buffalo War Memorial Stadium, which, while still usable, was far too small for an NFL team. The team almost relocated to Seattle, but instead opted to stay in New York with the construction of a new venue.
The stadium received its current name after a 25-year contract signed in 1973 with Rich Foods expired. Rich Foods had paid $1.5 million a year for the naming rights until 1998, when the name was changed to honor Ralph Wilson, founder and owner of the Bills. Owned and operated by Erie County, NY, the stadium originally cost $22 million to build. The stadium was renovated several times over the years, with one of the more significant renovations happening in 1998, when the seating capacity was reduced from 80,202 to 73,967. This was due to a lease renewal, but ultimately resulted in larger seats for fans, as well as additional luxury and club seating. These renovations amounted to $63 million. The architect in charge of designing Ralph Wilson Stadium was HNTB. Ralph Wilson Stadium offers fans 12,000 on-site parking spaces, as well as 42 concession stands, and 46 restrooms.
In 2007, a high-definition LED board, made by Mitsubishi, was installed to replace the old Sony JumboTron. The new board is 88.8' x 32.5', much larger than the original (41.5 x 31.5) that displayed in the stadium for 13 years. Lining the field is AstroPlay, a synthetic grass type of playing surface. It is has an open roof, as opposed to being sheltered by a dome. Across from the Native Pride Camper Lot is a bathhouse facility that welcomes guests with changing areas, restrooms, and showers.
Due to the high winds of the Buffalo area, the open-roofed Ralph Wilson Stadium proves to be a difficult venue for kickers. Of course, the unique design of the stadium doesn't help, as it pulls the wind in, making conditions even trickier. Although Ralph Wilson Stadium is exclusive to the Bills, other events have been held within its walls. On January 1, 2008, the Buffalo Sabres and Pittsburgh Penguins NHL teams played a game in the NHL Winter Classic. The venue has also been the site of the Drum Corps International Championships three times.
Along with this, a number of concerts have been held at Ralph Wilson Stadium, with big names such as The Who, Van Halen, Foreigner, Billy Joel, and Guns N'Roses performing there. Bruce Springsteen would have been the last musician to perform at Ralph Wilson Stadium, but the show was relocated due to poor ticket sales. Since 2001, Ralph Wilson Stadium has yet to host another concert.
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