The Bears have played at Soldier Field in Chicago since 1971, and the stadium was built in 1924, making it the oldest stadium in the NFL today. The team is coming off one of its best seasons in recent memory, going 11-6 and coming up just short in the Divisional Round of the NFL Playoffs.
At around 9 a.m. Thursday, Gov. Mike Braun posted a statement on X showing his support for SB 27 and the entire idea of the Bears coming to Indiana.
“Indiana is open for business, and our pro-growth environment continues to attract major opportunities like this partnership with the Chicago Bears. We’ve identified a promising site near Wolf Lake in Hammond and established a broad framework for negotiating a final deal,” he wrote.
“If approved, the proposed amendment to Senate Bill 27 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.”
Shortly after Braun’s post, the Bears released a statement of their own, which was posted by NFL Insider Ian Rapoport on X.
“The passage of SB 27 would mark the most meaningful step forward in our stadium planning efforts to date,” it said. “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. 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 of Chicagoland and a destination for Bears fans and visitors from across the globe.
“We value our partnership and look forward to continuing to build our working relationship together.”
Both statements, while simple, did provide something new regarding the stadium: the specific location. With a population of approximately 75,000 people right on the Indiana-Illinois border, Hammond sits a little over 30 minutes away from Chicago by car.
The Bears still have time to make a decision on whether or not the team will remain in Illinois, as lawmakers there also attempt to pass legislation to keep the Bears home and build a new stadium in Arlington Heights, Illinois.
