The Chicago Bears or the Indiana Bears?
The Bears are set to move out of Soldier Field and relocate to Hammond, Indiana after Illinois refused to fund a new stadium in the Windy City. Bringing the Bears across the state line is financially viable, as the front office has maintained, although die-hard fans tend to disagree.
The Bears are one of the founding teams of the NFL, and leaving Soldier Field, where the team has played for over half a century, seems inexplicable.
Resettling in Indiana, however, could give birth to more success. Change is not always terrible, after all. In a report from CNN, Indiana Senator Jim Banks claimed that there will be immense support for the Bears.
“The Bears are gonna pick up fans all over the Hoosier State. I’m gonna be one of them. I’m a lifelong (Indianapolis) Colts fan. But I’m gonna become a Bears fan,” said Banks.
In this CNN piece on Bears moving across state lines, Indiana Sen. Jim Banks proudly proclaims:
“The Bears are gonna pick up fans all over the Hoosier State. I’m gonna be one of them. I’m a lifelong Colts fan. But I’m gonna become a Bears fan.” (cont’d) pic.twitter.com/3R3qURNzS8
— Stephen Holder (@HolderStephen) June 14, 2026
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ESPN's Stephen Holder, who covers the Colts, reposted the video on X and provided more context.
“The reality here is the Colts are not concerned about this, as I hear it. Many older generations here have long been Bears fans because the Colts didn’t arrive until 1984,” wrote Holder.
“But Northwest Indiana and central Indiana are completely different places/regions in the Colts’ view. I tend to agree.”
There is no timetable yet for the relocation.
Last season, the Bears, led by quarterback Caleb Williams and in their first year under coach Ben Johnson, ended their four-year drought in the playoffs, reaching the divisional round before losing to the Los Angeles Rams.
There are many reasons for optimism for the Bears, and although the impending move to Indiana may not be necessarily one of them—at least for now—it might be unwise to stand in the way of development.
The Chicago Bears or the Indiana Bears? The Bears are set to move out of Soldier Field and relocate to Hammond, Indiana after Illinois refused to fund a new stadium in the Windy City. Bringing the Bears across the state line is financially viable, as the front office has maintained, although die-hard fans tend to disagree.