Chicago Bears Advance Indiana Stadium Plan

The Chicago Bears have taken their clearest step yet toward leaving Illinois, announcing that the team’s Board of Directors voted to advance a stadium development project in Hammond, Indiana.

In a statement released Thursday, Chicago Bears Chairman George H. McCaskey and President and Chief Executive Officer Kevin Warren said the board voted to move forward with development plans in Northwest Indiana, although a final site within Hammond has not yet been selected.

The organization said it views the project as more than a stadium proposal, describing it as an opportunity to connect Northwest Indiana with Chicago’s South Side, downtown and surrounding communities across the broader region.

“We believe a world-class stadium project in Hammond will transform the region,” the statement said.

While the announcement does not represent a final stadium agreement, it is the most definitive public action taken by the franchise during a years-long effort to secure a new home. The Bears have played in Illinois since the franchise’s founding in 1920 and currently play at Soldier Field under a lease that runs through 2033. If ultimately completed, the move would place the team’s home stadium outside Illinois for the first time in franchise history.

Thursday’s vote follows months of public discussion and legislative activity in both Illinois and Indiana as each state sought to position itself as the future home of the franchise.

For several years, the Bears had centered their long-term stadium plans around Arlington Heights after purchasing the former Arlington International Racecourse property. More recently, team leadership indicated Hammond had emerged as a competing option as discussions continued over financing structures, taxes and development authority.

Indiana leaders moved aggressively earlier this year to strengthen their proposal.

State lawmakers approved legislation creating a Northwest Indiana Stadium Authority intended to provide a framework for financing and constructing a professional sports venue in Hammond. Under the proposal, a public authority could own the stadium while the Bears would operate as a long-term tenant. State officials have discussed a package involving approximately $1 billion in public support alongside billions in private investment tied to the stadium and surrounding development.

At the same time, Illinois lawmakers pursued their own effort to keep the Bears in state.

During the closing days of the General Assembly’s spring session, the Illinois Senate approved legislation intended to create a pathway for local stadium authorities in Cook County communities, including Arlington Heights and Chicago. Supporters argued the proposal would allow a privately financed stadium to move forward while limiting direct taxpayer exposure.

The measure, however, did not receive a vote in the Illinois House before adjournment. Without additional legislative action through a special session or later in the year, the proposal remains stalled.

Gov. JB Pritzker’s office responded to the Bears’ announcement by criticizing the organization’s changing approach while maintaining that Illinois remains open to negotiations.

In a statement, a spokesperson for the governor said the Bears have built a storied legacy in Illinois for more than a century but have spent recent years repeatedly shifting positions on a stadium location, creating uncertainty during ongoing discussions with state leaders.

The statement added that Pritzker continues to support efforts to keep the team in Illinois and remains open to a solution that protects taxpayers.

The Bears did not provide a timeline for selecting a final site in Hammond or indicate when a final development agreement could be reached. Team leadership had previously said a stadium decision would come in late spring or early summer, leaving open the possibility that additional negotiations could still occur before a final commitment is made.