The Buffalo Bills and St. John Fisher University in Pittsford are discussing a multiyear agreement for the school to continue hosting training camp, chief operating officer Pete Guelli told The Buffalo News this week at the NFL’s annual meeting.
The Bills have held camp at St. John Fisher every year since 2000 except for 2020-21 when camp was at the team’s headquarters in Orchard Park because of the Covid-19 pandemic.
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A regular feature of the Bills holding training camp at St. John Fisher University is the ability for fans to get quarterback Josh Allen's autograph. Harry Scull Jr., Buffalo News
“We’ve had discussions with (St. John Fisher) about extending this deal and committing to a longer-term relationship because that’s where we want to be,” Guelli said.
Since the start of their partnership, the Bills and St. John Fisher have operated on one-year contracts.
Having training camp in Pittsford hits home for Guelli, who grew up in the Walworth, 15 minutes from St. John Fisher, and attended Aquinas High School in Rochester.
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During Guelli’s first tour with the Bills from 1998-2009, one of his initial tasks was helping the team transition their camp from Fredonia to Pittsford for the 2000 season. St. John Fisher jumped to the top of the list when school officials told the Bills about a capital improvement project and offered the Bills the ability to provide input. When the renovation was completed, the campus had a new weight room, locker room, training facility and stadium.
Upon returning to the Bills last May, Guelli was back on campus for training camp and was impressed.
“They had done such a great job elevating that camp since I left – there wasn’t a lot to change,” Guelli said. “One thing I realized in talking to (general manager) Brandon (Beane) and (coach) Sean (McDermott) is that everybody wants to be there.”
Last year, the Bills, Dallas Cowboys (Oxnard, Calif.), Kansas City Chiefs (St. Joseph, Mo.), Las Vegas Raiders (Costa Mesa, Calif.), New Orleans Saints (Irvine, Calif.) and Pittsburgh Steelers (Latrobe, Pa.) were the only teams to hold parts of training camp away from their home facilities.
Reach Ryan at rohalloran@buffnews.com or 716-849-6133. Follow on Twitter at @ryanohalloran.
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