This story was originally published by Capital B Gary.
By Javonte Anderson, Calvin Davis, Rayonna Burton-Jernigan and Derreka Rollins
Capital B Gary
December 18, 2025
The Chicago Bears said this week that they are expanding their search for a new stadium beyond Illinois, explicitly naming Northwest Indiana as a possible destination — a move that immediately reignited long-simmering speculation about whether the NFL’s oldest franchise could one day play across the state line.
In a letter sent to fans, Bears President and CEO Kevin Warren said the team has been unable to secure legislative support in Illinois for a long-planned stadium project and must now “critically evaluate opportunities throughout the wider Chicagoland region, including Northwest Indiana.”
The statement marked the clearest acknowledgment yet that Indiana is under active consideration and immediately drew attention across Northwest Indiana, where local leaders have already been laying the groundwork for this moment.
State Rep. Earl Harris, a Democrat who represents Gary, Hammond, and East Chicago, said the Bears’ latest statement aligns directly with legislation he authored to create a Northwest Indiana professional sports commission. House Bill 1292 was signed into law earlier this year.
“That’s part of the goal of the bill that I authored,” Harris said Thursday. “Bringing professional sports to Northwest Indiana, and what better team than the Chicago Bears coming just across the state line?”
Harris said the legislation creating the sports commission carries personal significance. The idea for the bill originated with his father, former Indiana state Rep. Earl Harris Sr.
“So part of the bill itself came from my father,” Harris said. “It was something he was working on when he passed away. So, of course, I’m proud to pick up the ball and carry it forward.”
Indiana Gov. Mike Braun welcomed the opportunity to bring a second NFL team to the state.
“The Chicago Bears recognize Indiana’s pro-business climate, and I am ready to work with them to build a new stadium in Northwest Indiana,” Braun said in a statement released on X (formerly Twitter).
“This move would deliver a major economic boost, create jobs, and bring another premier NFL franchise to the Hoosier State. Let’s get it done,” Braun said.
The Bears’ stadium search has stretched on for years and has zigzagged across the region.
More than four years ago, the team announced plans to purchase the 326-acre former Arlington International Racecourse in Arlington Heights, pledging to invest more than $2 billion in a state-of-the-art, enclosed stadium. However, the team pivoted last year back to its current lakefront stadium, proposing an estimated $4.8 billion domed stadium to replace Soldier Field, before those plans unraveled and the team once again turned its focus back to Arlington Heights earlier this year.
“For a project of this scale, uncertainty has significant consequences,” Warren wrote, citing stalled negotiations over infrastructure funding and property tax certainty. “With that in mind, our organization must keep every credible pathway open to deliver that future.”
For Northwest Indiana, however, the idea of hosting the Bears is not new.
In 1995, the team explored relocating to the Gary-Chicago International Airport site in a serious push led by then-NIPSCO President Gary Neale. That effort ultimately collapsed.
Reaction across Northwest Indiana and Gary was swift and mixed, with the Bears’ announcement stirring both excitement and skepticism.
Jay Halliburton said the possibility felt like a watershed moment.
“I believe it’s something that would really be historic and amazing for not only Gary, but the entire Northwest region as a whole,” Halliburton said. “I do believe it’s achievable.”
Others urged caution.
“Gary needs the Chicago Bears like a fish needs a bike,” Gary native Chris Zervos wrote on Facebook. “It’s not going to happen, and it’s probably for the best that it doesn’t.”
Damon Hubbard, a self-described longtime Bears fan and an Illinois native who now works as a barber in Northwest Indiana, said the news caught him off guard.
“When I heard it, I laughed,” Hubbard said. “I’m already out here every day.”
Still, Hubbard said he believes the Bears will ultimately remain on Chicago’s lakefront.
“I think [Warren] is just trying to put pressure on the city,” he said.
Harris acknowledged that Northwest Indiana could be used as leverage in negotiations with Illinois, but said this is an opportunity for Northwest Indiana to show and prove.
“Could we be used for leverage? Yeah, that’s possible,” he said. “But the fact that they mentioned Northwest Indiana gives us an opportunity to show what we have. It gives us an opportunity to show them what we have, to show the assets that we have, and to show the benefits of Northwest Indiana for the Bears to see and use as a new home.”
Relocating across state lines is not unprecedented in the NFL. The New York Giants and New York Jets play their home games at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey, about 5 miles west of New York City’s border.
Other teams also play outside the city most closely associated with their name. The Dallas Cowboys play at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas, roughly 20 to 25 miles west of downtown Dallas. The Los Angeles Rams play at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California, about 10 to 12 miles from downtown Los Angeles.
Javonte Anderson is the editor of Capital B Gary. You can reach Javonte at javonte.anderson@capitalbnews.org.More by Javonte Anderson
Calvin Davis is Capital B Gary’s government and politics reporter. You can reach Calvin at calvin.davis@capitalbnews.org.More by Calvin Davis
Rayonna Burton-Jernigan is the Business and Economic Development reporter for Capital B Gary. More by Rayonna Burton-Jernigan
Derreka Rollins is the Community Engagement Editor at Capital B Gary. Contact Derreka at derreka.rollins@capitalbnews.org. More by Derreka Rollins
Capital B is a Black-led, nonprofit local and national news organizations reporting for Black communities across the country.
