Believe it or not, the Chicago Bears are serious about permanently leaving the state of Illinois.
A bill that would clear the path for the Bears to have a stadium in Hammond, Indiana was approved Thursday by lawmakers in the state House Ways and Means Committee. If this plan goes through, the Bears would play their home games at a domed stadium in Northwest Indiana.
"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," Indiana Gov. Mike Braun said. "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. The State of Indiana moves at the speed of business, and we've demonstrated that through our quick coordination between state agencies, local government, and the legislature to set the stage for a huge win for all Hoosiers. We have built a strong relationship with the Bears organization that will serve as the foundation for a public-private partnership, leading to the construction of a world-class stadium and a win for taxpayers."
As of this Thursday, the Bears seem quite supportive of this plan.
"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," the team said, via ESPN.
Gov. JB Pritzker at a news conference at Helping Hands of Springfield on Dec. 15, 2025. © Steven Spearie/The State Journal-Register / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images.
Illinois fires back.
Apparently, Illinois Governor JB Pritzker was surprised by Indiana's statement this Thursday regarding the Bears.
"Illinois was ready to move this bill forward," said Matt Hill, a spokesman for Gov. Pritzker. "After a productive three hour meeting yesterday, the Bears leaders requested the ILGA pause the hearing to make further tweaks to the bill. This morning, we were surprised to see a statement lauding Indiana and ignoring Illinois."
The Bears have asked for taxpayer support from Illinois in the past. We'll see if the two sides renegotiate in the coming weeks.
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