Pritzker Says Illinois Still Working to Keep Bears, Hours Before Warren-McCaskey Presser
The Chicago Bears’ stadium search is heading into a pivotal Thursday, and Illinois Governor JB Pritzker isn’t ready to concede the team to Indiana just yet.
The Bears currently play at Soldier Field, and that isn’t changing anytime soon. But the franchise’s board of directors voted in June to advance a stadium development project in Hammond, Indiana, with the exact site still to be determined. That move came after a property tax bill meant to help fund a Bears stadium in Arlington Heights, Illinois, failed to get a vote before the state legislature’s spring session ended.
Now, Pritzker is signaling the door to Illinois hasn’t closed. Per Ben Szalinski of Capitol News Illinois on X, the governor said Wednesday: “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.”
Pritzker was careful to temper expectations, though. According to a separate post from Brenden Moore of Capitol News Illinois on X, the governor 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.” In other words, there’s dialogue, but nothing close to a done deal on paper.
Warren and McCaskey Set to Address Indiana Plans Thursday
The timing matters. Bears president and CEO Kevin Warren and chairman George McCaskey are scheduled to speak with reporters around midday Thursday at Halas Hall, in what’s typically the team’s routine pre-preseason media availability, according to ABC7 Chicago. It will reportedly be the first time either executive takes questions since the board’s June vote to push forward in Hammond.
Team sources downplayed expectations heading in. Moore posted on X that a source close to the Bears told him it “‘s not some major announcement” — adding that public anticipation was sitting at a level 10 when it should be closer to a three, per ChiCitySports. Illinois House Speaker Emanuel “Chris” Welch echoed that there’s no urgency for lawmakers to act immediately, telling reporters he doesn’t expect a special legislative session and that any substantive movement would more likely come during the fall veto session, according to ABC7.
Hammond Mayor Thomas McDermott Jr. said he’d been told an announcement was coming, though he stopped short of predicting the outcome. “I hope it’s about the stadium,” McDermott said, according to NBC Chicago. “I don’t want to presume, but I was told there’s going to be an announcement tomorrow.”
How the Bears Got Here
This saga has dragged on for years. The Bears bought the old 326-acre Arlington International Racecourse property in Arlington Heights for $197 million back in 2023, then spent seasons trying to nail down property tax certainty with state and local officials before breaking ground. A lakefront dome proposal near Soldier Field also came and went, rejected by state lawmakers as too costly for taxpayers.
By this spring, Arlington Heights looked like the frontrunner again. But when the property tax legislation stalled in Springfield without a vote, the Bears pivoted hard toward Indiana, where officials moved faster to offer public funding support. The June board vote to advance the Hammond project — specifically eyeing a site called Wolf Lake Terminal — was the clearest signal yet that Indiana had become the real threat to keep the team out of Illinois for good.
Since then, momentum has looked like it favored Indiana. That’s what makes Pritzker’s Wednesday comments notable — he’s publicly reasserting that Illinois hasn’t given up, even after the legislative setback and the board vote.
Why Illinois Fans Are Nervous
None of this changes where the Bears play right now. Soldier Field remains home through the transition, whenever it comes. But the stakes for the fanbase go beyond zip codes. A franchise synonymous with Chicago for over a century relocating its stadium across state lines, even while keeping the “Chicago” name, would land as a gut punch for supporters who’ve watched this process stretch across multiple ownership statements, failed bills, and shifting site proposals since 2021.
The financial numbers explain some of the tension. An Illinois lakefront dome proposal would have required close to $900 million in public funding. The Arlington Heights infrastructure ask has been estimated at roughly $850 million in public dollars for sewers, water mains, and traffic upgrades — though Pritzker has argued much of that spending was already planned regardless of a stadium. Indiana, by contrast, has moved with fewer legislative roadblocks to offer support for the Hammond site.
What Happens Next
Thursday’s press conference is the next real data point. Whether Warren and McCaskey use it to confirm forward progress in Indiana, reopen the door to Illinois, or simply run through the usual training-camp talking points remains to be seen — and it’s worth noting downplayed expectations from sources close to the team suggest this may not be the finish line some fans are hoping for.
A final decision on where the Bears build their next stadium hasn’t been made public. Until it is, both Illinois and Indiana remain in play, according to officials on each side of the border.
