Report: Bills cannot be relocated before 2020

With the passing of owner Ralph Wilson on Tuesday, speculation has already begun about the future of the Bills in Buffalo. 

Since late 2012, there had been reports that there was a $400 million buyout option to get out of the lease at Ralph Wilson Stadium through 2019. However, Marc Ganis, who is president of Sports Corp. Ltd., says that is not the case. 

“I’m very familiar with the Bills’ new lease in Buffalo, and Ralph Wilson gave the people of Buffalo and Western New York an enormous gift,” Ganis told The Toronto Sun.

“In this new 10-year lease that he signed, for the first seven years there is no opportunity to buy that lease out, or terminate it. None. That team is required to stay in that stadium for at least for the first seven years, and one year already has passed in that lease, so for the next six years.”

According to the story, Ganis was involved in the relocation of the Los Angeles Raiders to Oakland and the Los Angeles Rams to St. Louis in the 90s, and remains involved in owners meetings. 

Ganis added that there would be a brief opt-out period after the 2019 season for $28.4 million in which the team can be relocated. After that closes, however, the team could not be moved until after the 2022 season.