The Chicago Bears are nothing if not persistent. Believe it or not, the revelation that they placed a bid on the property of Arlington racecourse in the northwest suburbs shouldn’t be a surprise. After all, it’s technically the third time they’ve flirted with such a move. The first came in 1975 and the second in 1990. Both times the organization ultimately chose to stay at Soldier Field. More because they didn’t have the leverage to make the move happen.

That could finally change this time around. Owning a 326-acre property would give the Bears a critical piece of the puzzle to finally take the leap. Yet a lot of people still can’t understand why they’d do it. Why move out of Soldier Field? Sure it’s one of the smallest stadiums in the NFL but it’s an iconic landmark. It offers plenty of advantages from a weather perspective, especially in winter. Most importantly it’s actually in the city of Chicago.

So why move? The answer remains the simplest. Money.

Bears ownership has felt for a long time that as valuable as the franchise is, much of its financial potential was being wasted at Soldier Field. Both because of its low capacity and also the fact they don’t own the property outright. The Chicago Park District does. According to Dan Pompei of The Athletic, owning a brand new stadium would drastically increase the value of the organization. Especially if they plan to do something else that has been widely rumored for some time.

“The Bears need not be beggars in the stadium game anymore. According to Forbes Magazine, the Bears are the seventh-most valuable franchise in the NFL and the 18th-most valuable sports franchise in the world, worth an estimated $3.53 billion. With a world-class stadium, the Bears could become the most valuable sports property in history. The Cowboys are No. 1 with a value of $5.7 billion, per Forbes…

…There is no debating the intention of many McCaskeys is to hold the team for as far as they can see. But Virginia McCaskey and her children cannot see what will happen as subsequent generations become more powerful, ownership becomes more diluted and the world spins. The McCaskeys cannot pretend that a sale of the Bears is not a possibility in decades to come, and that means it would be delinquent for them not to do everything possible to maximize the value of the team. Owning their stadium is the only way for the Bears to go next-level financially.”

Moving to Arlington Heights isn’t the only persistent Bears rumor that resurfaced this offseason. So did the idea the McCaskey family might sell the team. Pressure has increased from the younger generation who own shares in the organization. Enough to where there could be a strong enough groundswell to do so in the event Virginia McCaskey passes away. This would explain the sudden urgency to purchase the property.

Chicago Bears were, are, and will remain a business

The duty of all businesses is to find every way possible to be successful. Find ways to make a profit for the owners and reward the employees. It has been that way forever. Traditionalists won’t like the idea of the Bears moving out of Soldier Field. Just like they didn’t like the Bulls moving out of Chicago Stadium or the Bears moving out of Wrigley Field. Change is never easy. Yet it always becomes necessary at some point.

Staying in that stadium forever was never an option. It was only a matter of time before the Chicago Bears changed venues again. That is unless the city was willing to make massive renovations to it. Something they already did once before in 2003 and that was a logistical nightmare to pull off. They’re tired of wading through the red tape. Owning their own stadium is something one could argue is long overdue.

Will it happen?

Winning that bid for Arlington could prove to be the tipping point. The Bears weren’t the only ones interested in it. If it falls their way, things could start happening in the coming years. The team remains under lease to Soldier Field until 2033. It is possible they might try to buy their way out of that while also finding private backers to build a new stadium. Not to mention restaurants, hotels, and even a casino. The possibilities are endless.