HAMMOND, Ind. (WNDU) - Fans and residents on the Indiana side of the border said they are excited about the possibility of the Chicago Bears playing in the Hoosier State after the team announced Friday it will proceed with plans for a new stadium in Hammond.
The Bears’ Board of Directors voted Thursday to advance the stadium development project in Hammond after Illinois failed to pass an incentive bill for the team’s planned site in Arlington Heights earlier this week.
While the vote is not a final decision and the move across the state line is not official, fans said the potential move could have a big impact on the economy in the region.
One Bears fan said Hammond’s proximity to Chicago makes the move logical.
“Half of Wolf Lake is in Indiana, half of Wolf Lake is in Chicago. So, people see the headlines and they get scared. But no, you’re literally, what, half a mile away from Chicago,” the fan said. “Look at both teams in New York, look at everyone. They’re all moving to where something suits them better.”
Jeff Smith, a Hammond resident, said the announcement has already brought attention to the city.
“When it first got brought up, we got busy because people were coming around here to check the site out. We had a kid that does TikTok, Connor Burns, he was on the thing, he was doing the restaurant. It really blew up after that, people come in all the time,” Smith said. “I know people that have been out of town in other states, they see Hammond, I’ve got a friend that’s in the Keys right now, he had a Hammond shirt on yesterday and people are asking him about it. So, it’s all over the country really, it’s super exciting for us.”
Another Bears fan compared the move to other recent Indiana sports developments.
“You’ve got Colts fans, a guy just drove by and goes ‘Indiana Colts,’ but the Bears are coming, come on now,” the fan said. “Caitlin Clark all the way from Iowa to Indiana. Now you’ve got Bears in Indiana.”
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