Pritzker Reopens Path to Bears Stadium Session as Team Revives Illinois Push After Indiana Move

Q: The Bears own land in Illinois but are eyeing Indiana's incentives. What will ultimately decide their new home field?

The Bears’ new home field will be decided less by geography than by which state can lock in a workable, legally approved financing package with tax certainty. Right now, Indiana has the clearer edge because it has already created a stadium framework for Hammond and put up to $1 billion in incentives on the table. The Bears’ board has voted to advance that option, a meaningful step that Illinois has not matched. But Indiana’s offer is not fully done: key local approvals are still required, including county food-and-beverage and hotel taxes and a Hammond admissions tax, with some deadlines stretching into 2027. Illinois still has a path because the Bears already own 326 acres in Arlington Heights, eliminating a major land hurdle. But the state has not passed the legislation the team wants, especially on property-tax certainty. Gov. JB Pritzker says he would call a special session only if the Bears can line up bipartisan support for a single bill, and he has drawn a firm line against raising general taxes for a privately owned stadium. Any new Illinois package now faces a higher three-fifths vote threshold after the regular session ended. So the practical decider is execution: whichever side can actually enact the taxes, incentives, and property-tax structure the Bears need, without political collapse or local resistance, will likely win. Indiana is ahead because its offer is more concrete, but Illinois remains viable if it can quickly produce a unified bill and enough votes.

3 articles · Updated · NBC Sports · Jun 9

J.B. Pritzker said the Bears have made "incoming calls" to him and legislative leaders in recent days, signaling renewed interest in an Illinois stadium despite their Indiana focus.
A special session remains possible if the House and Senate can align on a single bill, with Pritzker saying the team is trying to regroup after earlier missteps.
Pritzker faulted the Bears for lacking a clear site, arriving without a concrete plan during the recent session, and missing the legislature's final day.
The renewed outreach comes even as the team points to Hammond, Indiana, where no stadium agreement is final and Illinois remains a live option.