Chicago Bears Advance Hammond, Indiana, Stadium Project After Illinois Setback

CHICAGO - The Chicago Bears said Friday, June 5, 2026, that their board has voted to advance a stadium development project in Hammond, Indiana, marking the latest shift in the team’s long-running search for a new home as Illinois officials continued efforts to keep the franchise in the state.

In a joint statement, Bears Chairman George H. McCaskey and President and CEO Kevin Warren said the board met on Thursday, June 4, 2026, and voted to move forward with the Hammond project, although they said the exact site has not yet been selected.

“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,” the statement said. “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.”

The announcement came after Illinois lawmakers failed to approve legislation aimed at keeping the team in Illinois before the spring legislative session ended in the early morning hours Monday, June 1, 2026.

At about 4 a.m. on Monday, June 1, 2026, the Illinois Senate voted 37-17 to approve a modified bill that would allow certain Cook County municipalities to create local stadium authorities. The House did not vote on the measure before adjournment. A special session could still be called, though it was not immediately clear whether or when that might happen.

The legislative path in Illinois is now more difficult. After the spring session, the threshold for passage rises from a simple majority to a three-fifths majority under the Illinois Constitution, requiring 71 votes in the House and 36 in the Senate.

Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker’s office said the governor “has always been clear that he wants the Bears to stay in Illinois and remains open to a sensible solution that protects taxpayers.”

“The Bears have built a storied legacy in Illinois for over 100 years, but have spent the last six years, and especially the last few months, shifting their position on a stadium location," Pritzker's office said in a statement. "Today appears to be another instance of that, after Illinois leaders have been working with the Bears in good faith."

House Minority Leader Tony McCombie issued a statement on Friday and sharply criticized the development.

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“The Chicago Bears' choosing Indiana over Illinois should be a wake-up call, and Governor Pritzker owns this failure. The loss of one of our state’s most iconic franchises is a significant blow to our economy, our reputation, and future investment,” McCombie said in a statement.

“Families and employers have been leaving Illinois in search of greater opportunity. Now it appears the Bears may be doing the same.

“After years of one-party control, this is both a failure of leadership and an embarrassment for our state. Illinois taxpayers are left paying the price while jobs, investment, and economic growth cross our borders.”

Illinois Senate President Don Harmon said the team’s focus on Hammond had not ended talks in Illinois.

The team has repeatedly said Hammond was a main focus, Harmon said, “but that didn’t stop their conversations about a future here in Illinois, and it doesn’t appear that today’s statement will either.”

He added, “We are ready and willing to re-engage with the Chicago Bears when they realize Illinois will always be the best place for them.”

Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson said Friday’s announcement was “not surprising.”

“Over the last several years, the Bears have stated their intentions in multiple jurisdictions; today’s announcement is not surprising. It’s also not surprising that Bears officials have stated this vote does not mean a move to Hammond is a done deal,” Johnson said.

Below, State Sen. Jason Plummer reacts to the Chicago Bears' decision:

https://www.riverbender.com/news/details/sen-jason-plummer-blames-illinois-leadership-after-bears-advance-hammond-stadium-plan-94055.cfm