The Bears’ Move to Indiana Now Looks Increasingly Likely

Amid a flurry of public statements and legislative activity, sources close to the situation say the franchise’s move to a neighboring state is truly likely.

The Bears have played at Soldier Field since 1971. | Kiyoshi Mio-Imagn Images

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It’s time to get used to the Indiana Bears, even if the team would still go by its longtime Chicago moniker. 

According to a source close to the team’s stadium relocation plan, the Bears’ efforts in Indiana have gone from exploratory to something closer to inevitability, barring an unforeseen change of course by the state of Illinois. 

The Bears issued a public statement Thursday morning admitting as much, noting that, “The passage of SB27 [Senate Bill 27] would mark the most meaningful step forward in our stadium planning efforts to date. We are committed to finishing the remaining site-specific necessary due diligence to support our vision to build a world-class stadium near the Wolf Lake area in Hammond, Indiana.” 

Indiana’s governor, Mike Braun, also posted the following on social media Thursday: “Indiana is open for business, and our pro-growth environment continues to attract major opportunities like this partnership with the Chicago Bears. We’ve identified a promising site near Wolf Lake in Hammond and established a broad framework for negotiating a final deal. If approved, the proposed amendment to Senate Bill 27 puts forward the essential framework to complete this agreement, contingent upon site due diligence proceeding smoothly.” 

Meanwhile, as CHGO first reported Thursday, the Illinois House Revenue and Finance committee did not meet as scheduled. A bill containing funding for a new Bears stadium in Illinois was not expected to be entertained. 

The latest developments appear to move this far beyond posturing. The Bears have been in the city of Chicago for more than 100 years but have been aggressively searching for options after the proposed building site in Arlington Heights stalled. Illinois governor J.B. Pritzker told reporters as late as Wednesday that he felt progress had been made on stadium talks, though concerns over the percentage of the stadium that would be taxpayer-funded and the taxpayers’ burden for covering nearly half a billion dollars in Soldier Field renovations remained a sticking point. 

Having the Illinois funding bill—House Bill 2789—not called on while Indiana and the Bears make a public gesture of handholding certainly complicates matters. Included in the bill was a seemingly prophetic line: “The state’s economy is highly vulnerable to other states that have major financial incentive programs and competitive tax incentives.” 

The expected path forward—which is subject to the typically strange byways and off-ramps associated with local politics—looks like this: On Monday, SB27 will go to the Indiana house for a vote. On Tuesday, it would be voted on by the state senate. Barring any stalling, it could appear on Governor Braun’s desk as early as Wednesday for a signature. 

Thursday’s process advanced the bill. Some Indiana legislators wore blue and orange ties while voting. 

A stadium in Indiana would make the Bears similar to the New York Jets and New York Giants, teams that carry the gravitas of a big city in their name but play in a completely different state (New Jersey). Still, the significance of a possible move would not be lost on fans of the historic franchise. While the proposed relocation site of Hammond, Ind. is actually closer to Chicago than the Arlington Heights, Ill. location, crossing a state border could amount to crossing a line for some fans.  

Interestingly enough, Gary, Ind. was the site of a potential relocation for the Bears back in 1995 and was discussed at length during a Monday Night Football matchup against the Packers (the clip starts at 19:30).

Should the bill make it to the Indiana governor’s desk next week, it would not be game over for Illinois. However, as a source familiar with the process put it, Indiana would be holding a significant lead with time running out on the clock.