BUFFALO, N.Y. (AP) -- Rochester billionaire B. Thomas Golisano on Wednesday called the Buffalo Bills "a huge asset to this community," and didn't rule out playing a role to ensure the franchise doesn't leave town.

"It's concerning to me," said Golisano, who owns the Buffalo Sabres. "I'm very interested in the topic. How I would get involved is undetermined at this point."

Golisano said he wouldn't "rule out anything."

"Three years ago, I ruled out being an owner of the Buffalo Sabres and look what happened," he said.

His comments come a day after Bills' owner Ralph Wilson expressed concerns about the long-term viability of his and other NFL small-market teams because of inequities in the league's new collective bargaining agreement.

"While I am committed to western New York, the long-term viability of our franchise may be in serious doubt," Wilson told Gov. George Pataki during a meeting this week.

Wilson believes the new agreement, approved last month, establishes an unequal playing field between large- and small-market teams because it produces an equal allocation of player costs with an unequal allocation of revenues.

The Bills and Cincinnati Bengals -- two of the NFL's lowest-revenue franchises -- were the only teams to vote against the deal, which ensures labor peace for the next six years.

Wilson has been the Bills' sole owner since establishing the franchise in 1960. He has never expressed any indication he would sell or relocate the team.

Golisano is credited for saving the Sabres when he purchased the franchise out of bankruptcy in 2003.

Golisano founded the payroll processing firm Paychex and has had made three failed bids as a New York gubernatorial candidate.

Although he lives in suburban Rochester, Golisano has paid close attention to Buffalo-related economic issues since purchasing the Sabres.

"The Buffalo Bills are a huge asset to this community and anything that imperils their ability to stay here and be fruitful is a big concern," Golisano said. "The community's got a big investment in the team mentally and I'd hate to have anything happen to that relationship."