The Chicago Bears appeared to take another step toward leaving Chicago on Friday, announcing that their board of directors met and voted to advance a stadium development project in Hammond, Ind.
The potential move, which does not yet have an exact site, is not final and would require NFL approval.
In a statement by Bears chairman George McCaskey and team president Kevin Warren, the Bears said a “world-class stadium project in Hammond will transform the region.” They claimed the “transformation” would connect Northwest Indiana to the South Side of Chicago and “bring Chicagoland together and deliver new opportunities to its residents and businesses.”
Hammond and Chicago are about 20 miles apart, and even closer when comparing nearest points from their city limits. In contrast, Hammond is over 150 miles from Indianapolis, Ind., home of the Indianapolis Colts.
The Bears currently play in Soldier Field, a multipurpose stadium that is 102 years old and the oldest stadium used by NFL and MLS teams. The Bears have played home games there since 1971, and the Chicago Fire FC play their home matches there as well.
The Bears have pursued a new stadium for some time. The Illinois legislature has not (yet) approved funding for a potential stadium project in the nearby suburb of Arlington Heights, Ill.
Brian McCarthy, the NFL’s chief spokesman, told Sportico the Bears have “kept the [NFL’s] stadium committee and the league apprised of all developments.”
Article 4.3 of the NFL constitution, a document that governs the relationship between the league, teams and owners, makes clear that a three-quarters majority (at least 24 out of 32) of NFL teams must approve any relocation. This is the case for any move beyond city limits, whether that city is within or outside a team’s “home territory.”
A home territory spans 75 miles in every direction from the city where the team plays. While Hammond is within the Bears’ territory, and not part of the Colts’ home territory, NFL permission is still required.
The relocation process would involve the Bears submitting a statement of facts to the league. The Bears would need to explain and provide details on new stadium negotiations, including unsuccessful efforts. The league would weigh and analyze numerous factors, including land acquisition, environmental issues and public financing. Approval would not be a layup, especially given the historic ties between Chicago and the Bears, which have played in Chicago since 1921.
On X, Indiana Gov. Mike Braun asked Hoosiers to help him “welcome the Chicago Bears to our great state!” He added that “an NFL franchise in Northwest Indiana will be an economic boost to the entire region like we haven’t seen before.”
A person familiar with the Bears’ stadium negotiations told Sportico that there are only two viable locations—Arlington Heights and Hammond—and that a new NFL stadium in the city of Chicago is not under consideration. The person also said it’s possible the Bears end up in Arlington Heights but that such a move would require more support from political leaders in Illinois than has been demonstrated to date.
Past NFL team relocations have sometimes proven litigious or sparked legislative reforms that seem too late to matter.
The 2015 relocation of the St. Louis Rams to Los Angeles, where they had played prior to 1995, led to the city and county government of St. Louis suing the league and its franchises, and an eventual settlement. But the Rams still moved and the Los Angeles Rams won the 2022 Super Bowl.
After then-Cleveland Browns owner Art Modell moved the team to Baltimore in 1995, the Ohio legislature passed, and Gov. George Voinovich signed, the “Art Modell Law,” which prohibits Ohio-based pro teams that use a “tax-supported facility for most of its home games” and that “receive financial assistance” from playing home games “elsewhere.”
The law didn’t stop the Browns from moving to Maryland and becoming the Baltimore Ravens. The statute also arguably runs afoul of several provisions of the U.S. Constitution.
However, in 2018, the Art Modell Law influenced the Columbus Crew staying and not moving to Austin, Texas. It was also raised in the City of Cleveland’s recent litigation with the current version of the Browns over the team’s plans to move to a new stadium in nearby Brook Park, Ohio.
The reality is that if the Bears wish to move, and the NFL approves the move, it would be very difficult for Chicago or Illinois to use the legal and legislative systems to block a relocation.
