Terry and Kim Pegula unanimously approved as new owners of Buffalo Bills

It's hardly a surprise, but the Buffalo Bills officially have new owners who have been approved by the NFL.

At the NFL owners meetings at the Conrad Hotel in Manhattan on Wednesday, Terry and Kim Pegula have been unanimously approved by the other 31 teams. Terry Pegula also owns the Buffalo Sabres, and he can't believe how fortunate a position he's in.

“Kim and I are honored that the NFL owners have approved us as the new owners of the Buffalo Bills, we’d like to thank them for their support,” Terry Pegula said.

He was emotional when he spoke, with tears filling his eyes.

"If you asked me 10 years ago if I was going to own the Sabres and the Bills, I would have called you a liar," he said. "It goes back further than you may think. I obviously said when I was asked when I bought the Sabres, 'Are you interested in the Bills?'

"Did you expect me to say yes? But it goes back further than you may imagine."

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The Pegulas agreed to pay $1.4 billion for the purchase of the Bills from the estate of the late Ralph Wilson, and the league's ownership approval was considered to be a mere formaility at the league meetings in New York City. But it's now official, and the Pegulas now can focus on their stated mission of keeping the Bills local and finding a way to find funding for a new stadium.

"I got a hell of a deal," Terry Pegula said. "I own the team."

There's still the matter of making the actual payment — Pegula joked about “small matter of paying some money” — but his wire transfer is expected to be complete by Friday. That's when they officially will be the owners of the Bills.

The Bills won an emotional game Sunday in Detroit, the home of Wilson for more than 50 years before his death this past March, as Dan Carpenter hit a 58-yard field goal in the waning moments. The Bills will host the New England Patriots in a key AFC East matchup on Sunday in what will be a terrific moment for the new ownership.

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Eric Edholm is a writer for Shutdown Corner on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at edholm@yahoo-inc.com or follow him on Twitter! Follow @Eric_Edholm