By Democratic governance just no longer works. In a sign of how strained Illinois’ business climate has become under Gov. JB Pritzker, even the Chicago Bears are now looking seriously across state lines.
Earlier in a week, an Indiana House committee unanimously advanced legislation to create the Northwest Indiana Stadium Authority, a public body designed to finance, construct, and lease a domed stadium to the Bears near Wolf Lake in Hammond. The 24–0 vote in the Ways and Means Committee marked a decisive step forward in Senate Bill 27 — and a stark contrast to years of stalled negotiations in Illinois, according to the Chicago Sun Times.
Indiana House Speaker Todd Huston framed the moment in historic terms, stating, “I think we found a great partner in the Chicago Bears. Today is a historic day, one we look forward to building upon.”
Hammond Mayor Thomas McDermott Jr. was even more direct about the city’s eagerness: “Hammond’s ready to partner with the state of Indiana. Hammond’s ready to partner with the Chicago Bears — basically, Hammond will do whatever it takes to help make this project a success.”
The Bears themselves signaled a clear pivot. In a statement read during the hearing and later released publicly, the team said passage of the bill “would mark the most meaningful step forward in our stadium planning efforts to date. We are committed to finishing the remaining site-specific necessary due diligence to support our vision to build a world-class stadium near the Wolf Lake area in Hammond, Indiana.”
A Bears spokesman underscored the focus, adding, “Hammond is the site we are focused on. Work to be done.”
The proposed framework would allow the authority to issue 40-year bonds to build the stadium, funded by taxes on admissions, hotel stays, and food and beverage sales within a designated stadium district. After the bonds are repaid, the facility would be sold to the Bears for $1. The team could retire the debt early and assume ownership sooner. Under the plan, the Bears would sign a 35-year lease while retaining all stadium revenues.
The franchise has pledged at least $2 billion toward whichever stadium project it ultimately pursues.
Indiana Gov. Mike Braun touted the speed of the effort, writing that the legislation “puts forward the essential framework to complete this agreement, contingent upon site due diligence proceeding smoothly. The State of Indiana moves at the speed of business, and we’ve demonstrated that through our quick coordination between state agencies, local government, and the legislature to set the stage for a huge win for all Hoosiers. We have built a strong relationship with the Bears organization that will serve as the foundation for a public-private partnership, leading to the construction of a world-class stadium and a win for taxpayers.”
A statement from the Bears said in part:
“We appreciate the leadership shown by Governor Braun, Speaker Huston, Senator Mishler and members of the Indiana General Assembly in establishing this critical framework and path forward to deliver a premier venue for all Chicagoland and… pic.twitter.com/QclDpG3nqU
— Washington Free Beacon (@FreeBeacon) February 20, 2026
The site under consideration includes areas near the Lost Marsh Golf Course along 129th Street and Calumet Avenue, roughly 18 miles southeast of Soldier Field. The land, developed over a former industrial landfill and located near an oil refinery and residential neighborhoods, would require further environmental and logistical review. No renderings have yet been released.
The Indiana momentum reportedly caught Illinois officials off guard.
Speaking in Collinsville, Gov. Pritzker expressed frustration: “It’s very disappointing to hear that they would put that statement out, but not say anything about the advancement that’s been made in the state of Illinois. We’re waiting to hear from the Bears what they’d like to do next.”
Pritzker said his staff had held a three-hour negotiating session with Bears representatives the previous day, calling the discussions “very positive.” He noted that an Illinois House committee hearing on related legislation — which would have allowed the team to negotiate payments in lieu of full property taxes — was canceled at the Bears’ request. “Indeed, [we] mostly agreed on a bill that would move forward this morning, but they asked us not to move forward with it… because they said they wanted to tweak a couple of items in the bill, which were things that we were working with them on,” Pritzker said, adding that Bears president Kevin Warren “chose not to be in that meeting.”
Pritzker emphasized his long-standing desire to keep the team in Illinois: “I’ve been a Bears fan for a very long time, and I’ve wanted them to perform, stay, play here, [and I] continue to believe that that’s the best thing for them. I believe they understand in their hearts that that may be the best thing for them, but we’ll see what it is that they end up doing here…They’ve essentially stopped things in their tracks until we hear more.”
In reality, though, the billionaire Democrat was focused on other things:
Today, you lost the Bears to Indiana and starred in a commercial for your Lt. Gov that repeatedly said “F Trump.” https://t.co/lDvlUb82kZ
— Tom Bevan (@TomBevanRCP) February 19, 2026
For four years, the Bears’ stadium search has zigzagged among Arlington Heights — where the team owns the former Arlington International Racecourse property — Chicago lakefront proposals, and now Hammond. The team has sought roughly $855 million in public infrastructure support for the Arlington Heights project.
Indiana lawmakers aim to pass the stadium bill by the end of next week. Illinois’ legislative session continues through May.
What was once unthinkable — the Chicago Bears playing in Indiana — is now under active consideration. In a state long defined by political gridlock, high taxes, and drawn-out negotiations, even one of Illinois’ most storied franchises appears willing to test whether the grass really is greener just across the border.
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