Roger Goodell: Bills need new stadium

— -- As the Buffalo Bills continue the process of finding a new owner, NFL commissioner Roger Goodell believes the team must build a new stadium to remain viable in their region.

"Yes I do," Goodell told reporters Wednesday in New York City, according to the Toronto Sun. "We said at the time when they entered into a new lease that this is really a short-term solution. We need to find the right long-term solution that's good for the community, and can help the Bills to continue to be successful in Western New York."

The Bills are entering the second year of a 10-year lease with Erie County to play in Ralph Wilson Stadium, which opened in 1973. Despite $130 million in renovations this offseason, it remains one of the NFL's oldest stadiums and lacks the amenities of most modern NFL facilities.

The Bills, Erie County, and New York state formed a 20-member committee earlier this year that will explore the possibility of replacing the stadium, but Erie County executive Mark Poloncarz said Wednesay that a more extensive renovation of the venue remains on the table.

"At this time, all options should be part of the discussion and nothing should be disregarded," Poloncarz said in a statement released in response to Goodell's comments.

AECOM, a California-based architectural and design firm, was hired Tuesday to identify three to four sites across the region that could serve as the team's new home. The firm will have until July 11 to produce a feasibility study, which will eventually be distributed to prospective ownership groups.

The Associated Press reported Saturday that the Bills could be sold by July and the sale approved by NFL owners as soon as the league's meetings in October.

The Bills' lease with Erie County protects the team from moving until early 2020, at which point the next owner could potentially relocate to another city by paying $28 million to buyout the remaining three years of the lease.

Goodell emphasized Wednesday that the Bills' sale and their potential relocation are separate decisions.

"There's two votes. There's one vote to approve an ownership, and if a team potentially relocates, it's another vote," Goodell told reporters, according to the Buffalo News. "We're not making those one vote."

Goodell is a Jamestown, N.Y. native and has previously expressed his interest in keeping the Bills in the region.

Information from the Associated Press was used in this report.