The Chicago Bears may be moving to Indiana in the near future.
With their Soldier Field lease set to expire in 2033, the Bears have been conducting negotiations with the Chicago and other cities as they look for a new stadium location.
On Friday, the Bears announced they are moving forward with a plan to build a stadium in Hammond, Indiana. Here’s the statement from Bears Chairman George H. McCaskey and President & CEO Kevin Warren:
Yesterday, the Chicago Bears Board of Directors met and voted to advance our stadium development project in Hammond, Indiana, with the exact site to be selected. We believe a world-class stadium project in Hammond will transform the region, connecting Northwest Indiana to the South Side of Chicago through the Loop and across neighborhoods and suburbs stretching north of the city. It will bring Chicagoland together and deliver new opportunities to its residents and businesses.
College football fans may remember Warren from his time as Big Ten commissioner during the COVID-19 pandemic. Warren left his role as Big Ten commissioner to become President and CEO of the Bears in 2023.
Hammond is located less than 30 miles from Soldier Field in Chicago as it sits just inside Indiana’s western border.
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According to ESPN’s Courtney Cronin, this announcement does not mean the Bears’ relocation to Indiana is a “done deal.”
Spenser is a news editor for Saturday Down South and covers college football across all Saturday Football brands.
