Indiana Governor Mike Braun had been hoping for quite some time that the Chicago Bears would be moving from Chicago, Illinois to Hammond, Indiana. Well, after a potential deal fell through in Arlington Heights, Illinois, the Bears decided to pounce on the opportunity to move Hammond, Indiana.
Indiana Governor Mike Braun chats with race fans Sunday, May 24, 2026, along Pagoda Plaza ahead of the 110th running of the Indianapolis 500 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
Adam Schefter of espn.com said, “The Bears’ Board of Directors voted Thursday to advance the stadium development in Hammond, Indiana, with the exact to be selected. This is this first time that the Bears’ board has voted on any stadium site. As one source said, “There is more work to do but barring anything very strange, it’s a done deal.”” To no surprise, the Chicago organization had enough of the politics in the state of Illinois and wanted something different in the state of Indiana.
Indiana Governor Mike Braun Releases Statement on Twitter About Welcoming Chicago Bears to the State of Indiana
Indiana Gov. Mike Braun (center) displays copies of House Enrolled Act 1250 alongside State Rep. Tim O’Brien (R-Evansville) on Saturday, May 11, 2026.
Braun is excited about the Bears moving to the state of Indiana in the foreseeable future. He said on his Twitter page,
“Hoosiers, help me welcome the Chicago Bears to our great state! We look forward to building a partnership as strong as the ’85 Bears defense, creating opportunities and economic growth that will benefit our state and the Bears organization for decades to come. An NFL franchise in Northwest Indiana will be an economic boost to the entire region like we haven’t seen before. Thank you to Speaker Huston, the legislature, and Mayor McDermott for their partnership. I also want to thank the entire Chicago Bears organization for their partnership and commitment in making this move a reality. Welcome to Indiana!”
It will be interesting to see where in the Hammond, Indiana area the Bears will put their new stadium in. With Chicago’s organization deciding to make this move, the Bears will become the second team in the state of Indiana to have an NFL team. The Indianapolis Colts are the other team that play in this state of Indiana.
The Bears lease at Solider Field in downtown Chicago, Illinois goes through 2033. With that being said, there is a chance that they could be moving on from Chicago earlier than that depending on when the new stadium is built in Hammond, Indiana. This is a huge development for the Bears organization. It’s a major win for the state of Indiana and a major loss for the state of Illinois. The good news is that the drive from Chicago to Hammond is not that bad.
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