Know Everything About Highmark Stadium: Capacity, History & Facts

Highmark Stadium is a stadium in Orchard Park, New York, in the Buffalo metropolitan area’s Southtowns. Rich Stadium, first built in 1973, is the home stadium of the Buffalo Bills of the National Football League (NFL). From 1998 to 2015, it was known as Ralph Wilson Stadium, then New Era Field from 2016 to 2019, and finally Bills Stadium in 2020.

The stadium, formerly known as Highmark Stadium, opened in 2013 and has held a variety of sporting and entertainment events since then. The Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC, a professional soccer team in the United Soccer League (USL) Championship, play their home games at the stadium.

Highmark Stadium, which holds high school football games, college soccer games, and concerts, has become an integral element of the Pittsburgh community. With a seating capacity of 5,000, the stadium provides an intimate setting for audiences to enjoy live events.

History of Highmark Stadium

The Buffalo Bills, an initial club of the American Football League (AFL) in 1960, played their first 13 seasons at War Memorial Stadium, a multiuse WPA project stadium on Buffalo’s East Side that opened in 1938. While acceptable for AFL play in the 1960s, the “Rockpile” (as the stadium became known) was in disrepair and, with a capacity of less than 47,000, was too small for an NFL club. Following the AFL-NFL merger in 1970, the league-mandated a minimum of 50,000 seats.

The stadium was built to replace the team’s old home, the Chartiers Valley Stadium, a high school stadium in Pittsburgh’s suburbs. The Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC desired a more centrally placed stadium to give a better fan experience, which led to the development of Highmark Stadium.

Highmark Stadium was named after Highmark Health, a Pittsburgh-based health insurance company that purchased the stadium’s naming rights. The naming rights arrangement was part of a bigger cooperation agreement between Highmark Health and the Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC that also included jersey sponsorship and other marketing options.

Highmark Stadium Capacity

Highmark Stadium has a seating capacity of 71,000 people and offers both reserved and regular admission seats. The stadium’s seating layout is intended to offer fans an intimate viewing experience, with no seat more than 20 rows from the field.

Seating Arrangement

The seating at Highmark Stadium is structured in a bowl form, having a lower bowl and an upper bowl. There are around 3,500 reserved seats in the lower bowl. These seats are closer to the pitch and provide the greatest views of the action. There are also 10 luxury suites available for hire every game in the reserved seating area.

The top bowl houses the public admission area, which has around 1,500 seats. These seats are above the reserved seating section and offer a more elevated field view. The general admission section is typically less crowded than the reserved seating section, and tickets for these seats are generally less expensive.

Hotels Near Highmark Stadium

Highmark Stadium is in the Station Square section of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, a vibrant neighborhood with several lodging options nearby. Here’s a guide to help you pick the finest hotel near the stadium for your stay.

The Station Square neighborhood around Highmark Stadium has a wide range of hotels, from budget-friendly to upmarket.

The Sheraton Pittsburgh Hotel at Station Square, the Wyndham Grand Pittsburgh Downtown, and the Hilton Garden Inn Pittsburgh Downtown are among the most popular hotels in the neighborhood. Each hotel has varied features and pricing ranges to accommodate different tourists’ demands and budgets.

 

 

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