BUFFALO, N.Y. – Terry and Kim Pegula have no immediate plans to tinker with their new NFL team.
The last thing the Buffalo Bills (5-3) need is a distraction while in the thick of the AFC playoff race and attempting to end a 14-year playoff drought – the NFL’s longest active streak
“They need to play football,” Terry Pegula said. “God bless them, I hope they win every game.”
Leaving the structure of the team to the off-season, the Pegulas intend to focus on other franchise concerns, which include a commitment to building a new stadium and working on ending the team’s series of annual home games in Toronto.
Those were among the topics the Bills’ new owners touched upon during a wide-ranging 20-minute interview with The Associated Press on Wednesday night.
“Well, there’s going to be a new stadium somewhere, that’s all I know,” Terry Pegula said. “The league was pretty emphatic that Buffalo – we’re a small market – needs to be as competitive as we can.”
The one answer the Pegulas couldn’t provide yet is a location, timeline or how the costs of a new stadium will be split.
The Pegulas stressed they’re in no rush after the Bills’ current home, Ralph Wilson Stadium, underwent $140 million in renovations this off-season.
As for the Bills-In-Toronto series, the Pegulas are ready to end it.
“We’re working on that right now,” Kim said. “We want all the home games to be played in Buffalo, so we’re working through that. I think it’s close, but nothing’s been finalized. But that is our intent.”
The series was placed on hold in March, when the Bills and Toronto-based Rogers Communications announced an agreement to postpone holding a game north of the border this season. The two sides said they wanted time to “evaluate opportunities and build on the foundation to enhance future games.”
The postponement came after Bills management and players expressed concerns about poor fan support at Rogers Centre in downtown Toronto, and whether it was worth giving up a home game in a bid to expand the franchise’s exposure in Canada’s largest city and financial capital.
The Bills have a 1-5 record since the series was launched in 2008. Under the existing agreement, which was renewed in 2013, the Bills were scheduled to play four more regular-season games in Toronto.
Toronto is about a two-hour drive from Buffalo and part of the Bills’ market.
The Pegulas, who also own the NHL’s Buffalo Sabres, are still in the midst of their transition in the month since buying the Bills from late owner Ralph Wilson’s estate for an NFL-record $1.4 billion.
They’re impressed with the job President Russ Brandon has done in overseeing the team during the sale process.
Terry said it’s premature to consider making any changes to the team. And he has not yet determined whether he’ll hire an outside adviser to evaluate the franchise.
“I don’t think we’re there yet or if we’re even going to get there,” he said.
Buffalo comes out of its bye week preparing to host Kansas City (5-3) on Sunday.
The Pegulas are still riding a momentous wave of buzz and relief generated in Buffalo. Their purchase secured the Bills’ long-term future in western New York amid fears that a new owner would buy and potentially relocate the franchise.
There were no such concerns with the Pegulas, who have established firm roots in Buffalo while maintaining their base in Florida. Aside from owning the Sabres, they privately funded the construction of the newly opened HarborCenter, a $172 million downtown hockey and entertainment complex.
The two will work as co-owners with no clearly defined roles. Terry is more focused on the team, which is similar to his involvement with the Sabres. Kim will be more focused on stadium amenities and improving fan experiences.
The partnership has another advantage, Terry said in noting that at 63 he is 15 years older than Kim.
“I’m older than her, and after what the city of Buffalo just went through with Ralph passing away, I think successor ownership is a nice thing to have,” Terry said, noting he intends to have Kim eventually take over as owner.
That’s a switch from Wilson, who had no plans of passing the team on to family members.
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