Tom Golisano offers no bid for the Buffalo Bills

The Buffalo Bills are for sale, and bidders have made their play. Despite swirling rumors that tied the sale of the Bills to no fewer than a dozen potential suitors, reports indicate that only three serious bids have been offered. One big name absent from that list was billionaire Tom Golisano. The former owner of the Buffalo Sabres was hotly rumored to be interested in the Bills, but it appears he’ll be sitting out this round of playing Buffalo sports savior. The question now turns to why Golisano held out. That answer likely lies close to the team Golisano once owned.

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"Before Tuesday, informed sources disagreed as to how many people or groups would bid. Some predicted few besides the known four. One said possibly no other bidders would emerge. Another source expected more than a few to jump in. Some reports said the number could go as high as 10, or more."

The Toronto Sun reports that despite having sent out more than 60 non-disclosure agreements to potential buyers, Morgan Stanley only received three bids for the Buffalo Bills. Those being The Toronto Group, headed by the Rogers family and Jon Bon Jovi, current Buffalo Sabres owner Terry Pegula, and Donald Trump, who ‘on Monday dismissed his chances’ per the piece.

That Golisano didn’t bid shouldn’t come as big of a shock to Buffalo fans. Golisano isn’t the avid sports fan that is Terry Pegula. If Golisano buys a sports team, it’s to keep them in town, much in the way he did with the Buffalo Sabres after the team was bought by the NHL. Seeing Pegula’s $1 billion bid likely prompted Golisano to bow out of the race so as not to cannibalize the primary interests in keeping the Bills put.

Another explanation for the overall lack of bidders likely lies in the current lease with Ralph Wilson Stadium. Most potential owners had an eye on moving the Bills, and the current lease simply does not allow one to do that without a significant relocation penalty. Ultimately, it appears that most prospective owners would rather not bother with the court battles and litigation that would follow any attempt to move the Bills from Buffalo. In so doing, they may have assured that the team stays in Western New York for the long haul.