I stumbled on this fascinating vintage video of Ralph Wilson Stadium, under construction in 1972. Back then, of course, it had not yet been named. Rich Products would eventually plunk down $1.5M to name the new 80,000 seat home of the Bills, Rich Stadium. This was a huge sum at the time and was either the first, or near first time naming rights were sold for a sports venue. According to Wiki the name was supposed to be Coffee Rich Park, but Ralph Wilson vetoed that moniker. It will always be Rich Stadium to me.
The video throws around some interesting facts and figures such as, the glass enclosed suites would have color TV and 370,000 cubic feet of shale was removed to sink the bowl below grade. As a kid I was always proud of Rich Stadium. It was one of the largest in the league (it may have been THE largest at one time). It had such sleek lines. It was so very logical in form. The end zones had fewer seats and the sides where people want to be had more. With the bowl sunk into the ground, unnecessary ramps and stairs were eliminated. It was genius design. I always thought that the stadiums with the piles of spiral ramps seemed so silly in comparison. You can still see the sleek lines of its original oval shining through recently added clutter. Changes made over the last few decades have mucked it up with several unsympathetic additions.
The Bills moved into the stadium in 1973, opening against the Washington Redskins, after playing a decade in War Memorial Stadium on Buffalo’s east side. War Memorial was torn down in 1988 when it was only 51 years old. It seemed so much older than that. It too started out with as a sleek oval that was mucked up with clunky additions over time. With the death of Ralph Wilson the fate of Rich / Ralph Wilson Stadium has been sealed. Whether the Bills leave town or stay, Rich stadium is likely in its last decade of use. If the bills play out their current lease the stadium will likely lose its tenant by 2024 at which time it will be 51 years old.
The video was posted by Gary Gates on Youtube.