Bears Stadium Talks Revive: Illinois Makes Fresh Bid to Keep Team in State After Meeting With NFL Commissioner

CHICAGO (Illinois State News) -- Illinois is making a renewed push to keep the Chicago Bears in the state, meeting face to face with NFL commissioner Roger Goodell and other Illinois leaders in a bid that could reshape the multibillion dollar stadium search.

Gov. JB Pritzker said he met with Goodell this week in Chicago, joining the session along with Bears minority owner Pat Ryan, Illinois House Speaker Emanuel "Chris" Welch, State Rep. Kam Buckner and State Sen. Bill Cunningham.

"The Governor's Office has remained in conversation with the Bears about their plans in Illinois throughout the summer," a statement from the governor's office read. "The Governor and General Assembly leadership were glad to participate in a productive meeting focused on keeping the Bears in Illinois and protecting taxpayers."

The meeting marks the first face to face sitting between Goodell and Pritzker on the proposed stadium. The two have been in regular contact throughout the years long facility saga, but this was the latest and most concrete sign of momentum toward an Illinois outcome.

The stadium search began in September 2021, when the Bears purchased a site in Arlington Heights, at the location of the former Arlington International Racecourse, with the intent to build a new stadium and entertainment district. The team has sought a PILOT bill, a payment in lieu of taxes arrangement, to lock in property tax payments on the site, along with state support for infrastructure construction around it.

The state of Illinois did not pass any bills related to the Bears proposal during the recent spring legislative session. It remains unlikely that lawmakers will call a special session to debate the measures. Reviving an Illinois stadium bill now would require action during the upcoming fall veto session, which runs for six combined days during late November and early December. That means Illinois leaders would need to coalesce the kind of political consensus that was absent in the spring.

Meanwhile, Indiana is pressing ahead with its own offer. The state has passed a bill that would offer the Bears up to $1 billion in incentives to relocate their stadium project across the state line. The Bears have said they are focused on potentially building a stadium in Indiana, evaluating multiple sites around Hammond.

In August, Bears team president Kevin Warren told reporters the team's search had narrowed to a "sole focus" on potential sites in Hammond, Indiana. Two weeks later, Goodell told reporters he had met with Illinois lawmakers to help move the Bears stadium plans along.

Notably, Thursday's meeting did not include Bears chairman George McCaskey or president Warren, the two figures who have spoken most publicly about a potential move to Indiana. Instead, Ryan served as the franchise's representative.

Ryan is the billionaire founder of professional services firm Aon, with a net worth of roughly $8.9 billion according to Forbes. His family holds a roughly 23 percent ownership stake in the Bears, and he was the key benefactor behind Northwestern University's new, $875 million Ryan Field, which opens this Friday, October 2.

The NFL also issued a statement on the meeting, emphasizing time. "The NFL appreciated the opportunity to meet with Governor Pritzker and legislative leaders today. Timely action is essential as the Bears work to find a long term stadium solution for the club and their fans," the statement said.

That message appears to be a signal to Illinois leaders that the window is narrowing. Bears chairman McCaskey had earlier in the season said of Illinois, "Hope is not a strategy," a pointed reference to the lack of legislative action in the spring.

The Bears have played at Soldier Field since 1971. A major driver of their desire to build a new stadium and possibly relocate is the fact that they do not own the venue. They lease it from the Chicago Park District. The team's current lease runs through 2033, but they can exit early by paying a fee.

Hammond Mayor Thomas McDermott Jr. said the Bears let him know about the meeting with Illinois officials, but he remains confident the community is in the lead to land the project.

"I don't love the fact that Roger Goodell is in Chicago right now," McDermott said. "I trust that we're in the lead and that we're gonna get this deal done."

McDermott said the city knows it "has to fight for" the project and believes the team will ultimately relocate to the Hoosier State, though he acknowledged the Bears are still weighing their options.

There is no official date set for when the Bears will make a final decision on a stadium, though the team had hoped to break ground on a new stadium at some point in 2026.