Buffalo Bills face anger over odd ban at $2.1B stadium despite equipment in place

Andrew GambleWed, September 30, 2026 at 5:20 PM UTC

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Highmark Stadium has hosted two regular season games in 2026 - and fans are already frustrated about one rule -Credit:Getty Images

The Buffalo Bills are still acclimatizing to their new surroundings, as fans have expressed confusion about water-filling stations when bottles are banned.

Before the start of the 2026 NFL season, the Bills moved to the new Highmark Stadium, with the more than $2 billion venue situated just across from the original stadium. While fans expected a better experience with the new stadium, some supporters have had a less-than-stellar time in the new digs thanks to needlessly obstructed views.

Fans have already noted how railings continued to block their view of the field, a problem that was raised in the preseason. But it’s not just the viewing experience that is proving to be an issue.

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While prices are higher than before, services are also leaving fans frustrated. After two home games, fans are left wanting something as simple as water: despite several filling stations scattered throughout the stadium, attendees are not allowed to bring a bottle into a game to fill it.

Instead, they were told to simply purchase a bottle of water that could then be filled. This is not only counterintuitive but is also being interpreted by some fans as particularly exploitative, given that a bottle of water is listed at $6 but is actually over $7 once taxes and fees are accounted for.

“We were told by Bills Security that it wasn't allowed, and we went to guest services to kind of inquire about how we can get publicly accessible water to be able to drink for my son,” Personal Seat License owner Jason Lang told WGRZ-TV’s ‘2 On Your Side’.

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“Their first response was to buy a water and then refill the bottle, which I think is kind of ridiculous to have a stadium that mandates water access and make the only option to be through purchasing a bottle of water.”

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Highmark Stadium cost $2.1 billion to build and opened for the start of the 2026 NFL season -Credit:Getty Images

Ultimately, security and customer services claimed that the bottles represented a security risk. The Cincinnati Bengals and Arizona Cardinals both allow eligible water bottles to be brought in, saving fans from spending money on exorbitantly priced water.

“It would be too onerous on security to go through lines to have them checked, and that the only option would be to purchase a bottle to refill or to sign up for their responsible driver program through the app, which requires all sorts of steps to get through, including being over the age of 21, which my son is not,” Lang added.

While Highmark Stadium offers the frustrating bottle-filling stations, there are no drinking fountains, which means fans must either put up or shut up. According to the Bills, the only way to obtain a bottle for refilling is to buy one or sign up to be a designated driver through the team’s app, in which case a complimentary non-alcoholic beverage will be awarded.

A Bills spokesperson claimed that ticket holders could go to a guest experience booth for a free cup to use at the bottle-filling stations. However, ticket holders have lamented the policy, insisting that Bills representatives and stadium workers do not offer the free water or cups.

“I understand the NFL and the Bills are a business, but to paywall water access while allowing Labatt beer horns to come into the stadium is just corporate greed and hypocrisy at its worst,” another PSL owner told 2 On Your Side. “Fans shouldn’t have to jump through hoops, give up their personal info, and have access to a smartphone to get a free water.”

The 3-0 Bills return to Highmark Stadium to host the 1-2 New England Patriots in Week 4 on Sunday, Oct. 4.

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Source: “AOL Sports”