Naturally, fans were frustrated when word circulated that even a ticket to the intrasquad scrimmage will be difficult to obtain. The Bills anticipated the reaction. The stadium will also host two preseason games in August, a matchup with the Carolina Panthers at 1 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 15, and the exhibition finale against the Pittsburgh Steelers at 7 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 27. Guelli and the team’s staff wanted to find another way to open the doors to as many fans as possible.
After discussing options during a meeting last month, Guelli walked into coach Brady’s office to ask the Bills’ first-year coach for help. It was Brady who floated the idea of an open practice. He had brainstormed dates in August for his players to practice on Highmark Stadium’s natural-grass surface.
The two discussed timing before Brady settled on a date. The open practice will occur two days before the Bills practice against the Cleveland Browns in Berea, Ohio. The two teams will play a preseason game at Cleveland’s Huntington Bank Field on Saturday, Aug. 22.
Return of the Red and Blue will be the finish line for the Bills’ training camp. Beforehand, they will hold seven practices at St. John Fisher University in Pittsford. Rather than returning to the dorms following the scrimmage, Brady opted to keep his team in Orchard Park. It’s part of his reimagining of the Bills’ daily schedule, as Brady also changed start times for their workouts and meetings before and during the regular season.
The Bills open the 2026 regular season in Houston on Sunday, Sept. 13, and their first game in Highmark Stadium is against the Detroit Lions at 8:15 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 17.
The Family Circle, which is expected to be a major attraction outside the Buffalo Bills’ new stadium, will feature plaques honoring Bills greats throughout the years. But there’s one former legend who won’t be included: O.J. Simpson.
“What I like about the entire setup is we now have four major events at the stadium in August, and they are at a variety of times,” Guelli said. “We want as many people in Buffalo as possible to experience the stadium.”