Aug. 13, 2026, 2:18 p.m. CT
The idea of the Chicago Bears staying in Illinois continues to look bleaker and bleaker by the day.
Bears team president Kevin Warren provided an update on the team’s ongoing stadium search at an Aug. 13 press conference, dashing local fans’ hopes at keeping the team in-state as he drew focus to a potential Hammond, Indiana, site. Here’s what we know.
What did Chicago Bears say about stadium move?
Warren told reporters the team’s sole focus is on moving to Hammond, Indiana, at this point. The team has held occasional meetings with the state of Illinois, but the focus on Indiana hasn’t changed.
Warren added that representatives from Indiana, including the governor, have been “stellar to work with” and “phenomenal partners.”
The due diligence has been completed at the Lost Marsh site in Hammond and is viable for a stadium, he said. During that process, the Bears found the Wolf Lake site that is now undergoing due diligence as well for potential viability.
Are Bears leaving Illinois?
Warren wouldn’t rule out Illinois, but said the team has no offer from the state and the team’s focus is now on Indiana.
“I think the biggest thing, for our fans, is we have to get this right,” Warren said. “This is a 40-to-50 year decision. And we have to pull all these things together. I’m looking forward to bringing it to close from a legislative standpoint so we can get on to the construction.”
Warren noted the rising cost of construction as a factor in trying to get a deal done for a stadium.
The message comes on the heels of a June statement from the Bears that initially noted the team’s desire to pursue the project across the border in Indiana.
“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,” Bears chairman George H. McCaskey and Warren said in a June statement. “It will bring Chicagoland together and deliver new opportunities to its residents and businesses.”
Why are Bears contemplating an Indiana move?
Indiana was not only willing to provide financial assistance in the process, but it also came without the political challenges that became present in Illinois.
While various locations have been rumored, only one thing remained certain – the Bears weren’t going to be playing in Chicago anymore, a city they called home since 1921.
The Bears expressed that stance in a public statement on May 21.
“The Chicago Bears have exhausted every opportunity to stay in Chicago, which was our initial goal,” the team said. “There is not a viable site in the city. As a result, the only sites under consideration are in Arlington Heights and Hammond.”
What is Illinois doing to keep Bears?
Illinois lawmakers failed to pass legislation in June that would incentivize the team to stay in-state, running out of time in the legislative session without gaining the traction needed to pass it in the House.
The bill would have allowed municipalities with populations of at least 70,000 people to build a new stadium without paying property taxes on the facility.
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