Gov. JB Pritzker addresses the press corps at the unveiling of the Illinois State Fair Butter Cow at the Dairy Building Aug. 12, 2026.
Steven Spearie/The State Journal-Register / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
The clock is ticking on a decision to be made regarding the new Chicago Bears' stadium location. While the team will still be playing in Soldier Field for the foreseeable future, rumors have been swirling that the team's new stadium could be located in Indiana instead of Illinois as the ownership group looks for the cheapest possible solution.
Now, Illinois Governor JB Pritzker has given an update on the stadium talks that could give hope to those hoping the Bears stay in the Windy City.
“We've had contact with our staff, their staff, and we're working hard to make sure that there's an opportunity for the Bears to stay in the state of Illinois, whether it's in Chicago or in Arlington Heights,” said Pritzker, per Ben Szalinski of Capitol News Illinois on X, formerly Twitter.
He also clarified that the Bears “have various things that they've talked to us about, but they haven't presented language in a bill to us,” per Brenden Moore of Capitol News Illinois on X.
Article Continues Below
Later in the day on Thursday, Bears president and CEO Kevin Warren and team chairman George McCaskey are expected to address the team's possible move to Indiana in a press conference, so it's unclear at this point how Pritzker's statements may or may not be affected by that development.
Bears fans are desperately hoping that the team stays within the city of Chicago in their next venue. While the team will still be the Chicago Bears no matter what, moving the organization out of the same state with which they are synonymous could lead to intense anger within the fanbase, as well as among the players and staff.
In any case, a final decision could be coming very soon.