Sunday marked the final regular-season game for the Buffalo Bills at Highmark Stadium. For more than five decades, Bills Mafia has filled the stands, making it a place to celebrate and come together even in Buffalo’s darkest moments.

Fans spoke ahead of the game against the Jets about what the stadium means to them.

Any sports fan knows the stadium is a home. It’s a home where it doesn’t matter where you come from, who you root for or who you are outside of its walls. For Bills Mafia, this home is where people grew up and learned what community really means.

“My family has been season ticket holders since 1960,” said David Bergner of Orchard Park.

Bergner had mixed feelings about Sunday’s game.

“It will be emotional,” Bergner said. “It will be fun. Good times. It’s all about the people, though. It’s all about the people at the time. It’s all about these people.”

“I was here for the first game in September,” Mike Martzolf said. “I was 8 years old. I was here at the first game against the Jets, and I’m here at the last game against the Jets.”

It’s a family affair for the Martzolf family, like so many others who filled the stands.

“It’s a sad day, but it’ a happy day,” he said.

“It’s going to be absolutely electric inside,” Lilly Martzolf said. “There’s so much hope for everything that we have here.”

“We are here no matter what the weather is,” Mike chimed in.

Including folks who are accustomed to warmer weather…

“I can’t think of anywhere else that I would rather be than right here, right now,” Laura Niz from South Carolina said. “Even though I was on my boat on Christmas Day.”

While generations have grown up inside what’s been Rich Stadium, Ralph Wilson Stadium, New Era Field and now Highmark Stadium, for younger Bills fans, Sunday was all about looking toward their future.

“I’m happy,” said Logan Felder of Hamburg. “Because we are getting a new stadium.”

“It’s going to be cooler,” said Brody Suchan of Hamburg.

“The new stadium looks very nice. I’m excited to come see it in the stadium,” said Jets fan Ryan Mock of Long Island.

And as bittersweet as it will be, Bills Mafia knows the best is yet to come.

“I’m just not in the moment yet,” said Russell Hill of Hamburg. “It is starting to sink in, though, like this is it.”

“We are going to fill this stadium with more memories than we filled this stadium with,” said Isac Alba of Buffalo.

It’s the end of an era. Fifty-three years here. The Bills will move across the street for next season. A new home, for more memories, maybe even a run all the way to the Super Bowl starts there.