The Chicago Bears have explored the opportunity of building a new stadium outside of Illinois. While no official decision has been made, Indiana officials have voiced their confidence in the move. In fact, Governor Mike Braun recently claimed that a move to Indiana is already “in the red zone.”

“I’ve done so much real estate in my career. Until you ink it, it’s not done,” Braun said during an event at Valparaiso University, via Eric Fisher of Front Office Sports. “But it’s moved a long distance in a short period of time because it moved hardly at all for five and a half years (in Illinois).”

Braun’s comments imply that discussions about the stadium have previously stalled despite multiple proposals over the years. Given how fluid the Bears' situation is, nothing is set in stone right now.

However, Illinois remains in contention, and lawmakers have yet to agree on legislation that could move a project forward.

The Bears, so far, have remained silent since they announced on June 5 that they were moving forward with plans to build a stadium in Hammond, Indiana.

However, that is soon set to change.

According to Eric Fisher of Front Office Sports, team president and CEO Kevin Warren is scheduled to speak at an event on July 16. It is believed that the organization’s stadium plans will be a major topic. 

For now, Indiana officials remain highly optimistic about the Bears moving across the border. It will be interesting to see whether they can convert their red zone position to a touchdown. 

However, the Chicago Bears are also exploring plans to move to the suburbs, but those plans hit a standstill after the Illinois General Assembly failed to pass a highly sought-after property tax incentive bill.

Illinois considers special session after stalled Arlington Stadium plans

According to CBS Sports, the Bears wanted to acquire land in Arlington Heights in 2021 but then ended up buying the former Arlington International Racecourse in February 2023 for almost $200 million.

But after Hammond came up as a possible option, the spring legislative session in Illinois came to an end without ratification of the tax bill.

That's why Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker is suggesting the possibility of a special session to address the issue.

“We don’t want to raise taxes on the people of Illinois,” Pritzker said last month, per the same FOS report. “We have offered infrastructure support, which is actually most of what the Bears have been asking for. We think we’re as close as anybody to getting a stadium done here. I don’t think Indiana is a whole heck of a lot closer than we are.”

As the stadium saga intensifies, Kevin Warren’s upcoming address on July 16 could finally clarify whether the Bears will commit to Indiana's rapid push or prompt an Illinois special legislative session.

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Written by

Dhruv Vishnu Nair

Edited by

Shubhi Rathore