The Chicago Bears have tangled with Illinois lawmakers for three years over their pursuit of a new stadium. Governor J.B. Pritzker has been adamant throughout that he will not release any public funding for billionaire vanity projects, despite the Bears’ significance to the city. Team president Kevin Warren has tried all sorts of tactics to get the government to budge, including a promise from Roger Goodell and the NFL to help fund the construction. None has worked. So last month, he decided to take things a step further by announcing the team was open to a possible move to Northwest Indiana.
This is something that was revealed as a possibility early last year. Indiana government officials have been attempting to attract large businesses to the state for some time. Securing a massive sports franchise would be a huge victory for them, and they’ve already passed legislation that would help fund such a project. Everything is in place. All they need is a team to say yes and point to a site they want. People haven’t been willing to accept that the Bears are serious about this idea.
That changed when news arrived that Goodell was touring potential locations in Northwest Indiana before the big game against the Green Bay Packers.
Roger Goodell wouldn’t be involved if it weren’t serious.
He’s the commissioner and therefore has a major presence whenever a team is serious about building a new stadium. There is no way the Bears would’ve brought him to those locations for any other reason. Warren even sent out a survey to season ticket holders, with Northwest Indiana being one of the first things he asked about. The groundwork is already being laid for a move. If they get a green light from Goodell, which shouldn’t be an issue, this entire process could unfold quickly.
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The timing of this move seems fortuitous. The Chicago Bears just got done pulling off the greatest playoff victory in almost two decades. They appear to be a team on the rise. The camera shots of that snowy sight at Soldier Field were magical. Is Illinois really prepared to risk losing them despite easily the most public-friendly funding offer of any NFL team in recent memory? The Bears have already promised to pay for the stadium construction. They just need infrastructure assurances. Pritzker has remained unmoved.
He’s running out of road.
