Illinois Has One Last Shot to Keep the Bears From Moving to Indiana

The Chicago Bears' stadium saga has taken another twist. On Friday, the Bears announced on social media that the Board of Directors had voted and that they would now focus on Hammond, Indiana as the site of their new stadium. While it sure seems like this is Illinois' last chance to keep the Bears from fleeing for the border, it's not over yet for the Land of Lincoln. They can keep the Bears within the state, but only if they get serious about it.

Chicago Bears president and CEO Kevin Warren at State Farm Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images | Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

Politics as usual as far as Illinois is concerned

The fact that we are still talking about the Bears' stadium location should be professional embarrassment to everyone involved, both within the Bears' organization and the governments of Chicago and Illinois. There's plenty of blame to go around, but the lion's share belongs to the politicians and their endless posturing. If the Bears are indeed bound for Indiana, we'll know who to blame.

The politicians have been trying to have their cake and eat it, too. They want the Bears to stay in Illinois, but they're deathly afraid of any action that might bear even a passing resemblance to helping out a multi-billion dollar organization like the Chicago Bears. Never mind that the Bears have committed to building the stadium itself with private money. Never mind that they're only seeking the same kind of tax guarantees that every other NFL team gets when they build new stadiums. At the end of the day, it's been politics as usual in the state of Illinois, and it's driven the Bears to the very brink of abandoning their home of the last 100 years.

The Bears have been practically begging the state of Illinois to keep them from leaving, but the politicians have collectively shrugged their shoulders. Meanwhile, the Hoosier state is all too happy to receive a second NFL franchise within their borders. They did in a matter of weeks what Illinois has been incapable of doing for several years now, and they passed a bill with everything the Bears need to begin construction in Hammond, Indiana immediately. Governor Mike Braun has already rolled out a welcome mat on social media.

Indiana Governor Mike Braun speaks at Lilly Corporate Center on Tuesday, May 12, 2026, in Indianapolis. | Michelle Pemberton/IndyStar / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

How Illinois can still stop the Bears from leaving

Even as we've reached this point in the Bears' stadium drama, it's not over yet for the state of Illinois. ESPN's Courtney Cronin confirmed on X that while the Bears' Friday announcement is not a mere "leverage play", neither is it a full commitment to Indiana. The Hoosier state is firmly in the lead for getting the Bears' new stadium, but "Illinois can still get back in the race."

That would mean finally doing their jobs and passing a bill that grants the Bears the same kind of tax certainty that every other NFL franchise gets. The Bears may not have handled this process expertly themselves, but Governor J.B. Pritzker's spokesman, Matt Hill, is way off base when he tried to shift the blame onto the Bears, claiming that Illinois has negotiated in good faith, according to Courtney Cronin.

It will no longer surprise me if the Bears do indeed build their new stadium in northwest Indiana. Illinois has bungled this seven ways to Sunday. Even so, the state can still keep the Bears in Illinois, on the property they purchased in 2023, but only if they can put politics aside and come together to find common ground with the Bears. The McCaskey family clearly doesn't want to leave this state, but it remains to be seen if the state cares even half as much about the issue.

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