For more than a century, the Chicago Bears have been woven into the identity of Chicago. Founded in 1920, the franchise has become one of the city’s defining institutions. Yet today, the Bears appear closer than ever to leaving Illinois and crossing the border into Indiana.
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How did this happen?
The answer is simple: One state saw an opportunity. The other assumed the Bears would never leave.
The Bears are owned by the McCaskey family. Unlike many NFL franchises owned by billionaires who made their fortunes elsewhere, the McCaskeys are not independently wealthy. George Halas purchased the team for just $100 in 1920, and the family has owned it ever since. The Bears are, in many ways, still a family business.
That reality shapes how the McCaskeys view the future of the franchise. They are not simply looking to build a new stadium. They want to create an entire entertainment district — a destination that includes restaurants, hotels, housing, retail, bars, and nightlife. Modern professional sports are increasingly about creating year-round revenue streams, not just selling tickets on Sundays.
The problem is that the Bears’ current location does not provide the space or flexibility necessary to build that vision.
For a time, it appeared the Bears had found an Illinois solution. The organization purchased the Arlington Heights property with the apparent goal of building a new stadium and surrounding development there. But disputes over taxes, financing, and development have prevented that vision from moving forward.
As a result, the organization has continued searching for alternatives.
Indiana saw what Illinois did not.
State and local leaders in Indiana recognize what a Bears stadium could mean for northwest Indiana. The project would bring construction jobs, permanent employment, tourism, tax revenue, and private investment. It could transform an area that has long struggled with economic stagnation and population loss.
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Indiana also offers a business environment that many companies find more attractive than Illinois. Taxes are generally lower, regulations are less burdensome, and state leaders have demonstrated a willingness to work with the Bears to make a deal happen. Indiana understands that landing an NFL franchise would be a once-in-a-generation economic development victory.
Indiana viewed the Bears as an opportunity. Illinois treated them as an inevitability.
For years, the Bears have sought certainty regarding stadium development and financing. Yet Illinois politicians have repeatedly failed to provide a clear path forward. While state leaders often talk about economic development, they have struggled to retain one of the state’s most recognizable institutions.
The irony is that Indiana originally seemed like little more than leverage. Many observers assumed the Bears were using the possibility of a move to pressure Illinois into offering a better deal. That strategy has been employed by sports franchises across the country for decades.
But leverage only works if the other side responds.
Illinois never did.
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Instead of seizing repeated opportunities to keep the Bears in the state, Illinois leaders appeared content to assume that the franchise would never actually leave.
If the Bears ultimately move across the border, it will represent more than a stadium deal. It will be a symbol of a broader problem facing Illinois: when businesses, investment, and opportunity are given a choice, they increasingly look elsewhere.
And if the Bears leave, Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker — widely viewed as a potential presidential candidate — will have to explain how his state lost one of its most iconic institutions to neighboring Indiana.
While no final deal has been signed, the momentum is clearly behind Indiana. A return to Illinois remains possible, but increasingly unlikely.
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