Home » Illinois officials to Bears: Tell us what stadium deal you want Illinois officials to Bears: Tell us what stadium deal you want June 16, 2026 | John Pletz, Crain's Chicago Business Comments Print Share Share this Article Facebook Twitter LinkedIn {{ copy_link }} Add Us on Google GET THE LATEST IBJ NEWS IN YOUR INBOX FREE NEWSLETTERS Related Stories UPDATE: Former IU quarterback won’t play for Texas Tech after unprecedented legal fight over his eligibility for gambling June 15, 2026 Grand Park Sports Campus adds NFL flag football youth event June 12, 2026 Pacers Sports & Entertainment launches retail media network June 12, 2026 World Cup what to know: Supersized 48-team tournament kicks off Thursday June 10, 2026 QB Daniel Jones eager to be full participant in practice, but Colts continue to play it safe June 9, 2026 Listen to this story Subscriber Benefit As a subscriber you can listen to articles at work, in the car, or while you work out. 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“…lawmakers can’t advance a plan to keep the team in the state until the franchise makes clear what kind of deal it wants.” It seems Indiana figured it out. Log in to Reply
And yet the Bears didn’t commit. It’s obvious they have been leveraging the threat of leaving for Indiana to get what they really want from IL.
Yes ! It’s even obvious to a blind man that the Bears were playing both sides to leverage the best deal,
Illinois absolutely overplayed their hand, and now they are staring down the barrel of a self-inflicted disaster. Log in to Reply
They told them but didn’t listen. Typical leftist incompetence when it comes to business. Log in to Reply
Yeah, all those incometent leftist business rules. Like the SEC, pollution, employment discrimination, wage and hour, all those things that make it possible for the workers to have some protection. Business isn’t just about the corporations; its also about the folks who make the products, and the consumers who buy them. A free hand to the corporations results in industrial waste dumps near water supplies, unbreathable air, products that don’t work, people injured on the job with no help on medical bills or wages.
It’s so funny hearing this from Republicans in a state that takes far more federal dollars than it provides, thanks to our fellow Americans living in blue states. I’d say that they should study the cognitive dissonance and lack of self reflection it takes to be so unaware of reality, but I’m pretty sure DOGE cut funding for that so that we could give the money to Iran instead
Timothy S. How’s that job creation going in Illinois with all those leftists leaders and their policies compared to red states such as Texas and Tennessee?? Downtown Chicago lost four major corporate headquarters two years ago. These corporations didn’t just move to the suburbs, they left the state completely for Texas, Florida, Virginia, and another state. Leftists run cities and states are NOT attracting businesses or people.
Keith, are you arguing that Austin, Dallas, and Houston are conservative cities? Because lol. Red states are lucky to have their blue cities oases in them. Otherwise, we’d all be like Arkansas or North Dakota and would be a backwater country instead of a superpower.
So the crazy IL leftists should have just bowed down and raised taxes like Indiana even though every independent economist that studies taxpayer-funded stadiums will tell you the juice isn’t worth the squeeze. Those concept drawings of new stadiums do look cool though.
I have said for years that hardest part of sales is finding out what the customer wants. But they seldom just come right out and tell you what that is. However, once you identify the “want”, it’s easy. Just get it to them.
This one is easy. If the Bears come to Indiana, Indiana wins. If the Bears stay in Illinois, Indiana wins. Illinois has come to the brink of losing an icon of their State to “lowly” Indiana. They are already losing companies and residents to the Hoosier State. This will be the most public failure of their government. Indiana will have forced Illinois to pay through the nose for the right to keep “Their Bears”. The free advertisement The Region is getting around the world for this is well worth it. Mike.Royko is rolling in his grave Log in to Reply
Exactly how much is the brand of NYC harmed by their football teams playing across the river in New Jersey? Indiana would have been better suited spending a billion dollars on infrastructure and placemaking in The Region (duplicate what Carmel did) than a football stadium that will be empty the second the Bears can leave. And, oh yeah, our state legislators are diverting some of the money and resources that have kept Indianapolis landing all those big sporting events … to Hammond as part of the “deal”. It’s a boondoggle and we can only hope Illinois officials save us from a terrible mistake.
Apples and oranges. Illinois should have not fought so hard to keep the team in Illinois, but they look down on The Region. Unlike NYC or even with the move across state lines for The Chiefs. Very little concern because they accept that areas across the river are all part of their city. Same attitude with Cincy and NKY. Had Illinois not taken the Bears bait, they would be looking at a stadium in Arlington instead of having to write a blank check to the Bears. How do you place make The Region? It has such a negative image from industrial steel mills to crime and failed attempts to reimagine itself. It is certainly not Carmel. It is more Pittsburgh, and it has taken decades and billions for Pittsburgh to lose that reputation. On the other hand, you put a domed stadium, minutes from downtown Chicago, that will host a Superbowl, will host massive concerts, will host NCAA Final Fours and on and on, and you have made the region a defacto part of Chicago. Yes it will compete with Indy for B10 Football and other Championships, but an Arlington stadium would have as well
Raymond, those Final Fours and Big Ten championship games will come at the expense of Indianapolis. And will people stay in Hammond for them? Oh heck no, they will stay in Chicago and commute. Meanwhile, the Chicago Bears will keep all the revenue. It’s even more of a lose-lose for us than Lucas Oil Stadium. Indiana is getting played badly on this and our leadership is behaving foolishly. How do you placemake the region? Schools people want their kids to attend, parks and amenities. It’s not hard, you just have to have the will to spend money, which we don’t in Indiana.
It seems as though if Indiana really wants the business, and I believe they do, Braun and everyone involved needs to use its own leverage and not just be the leverage. They need to put their own pressure and timeline on the family to make a decision. Why allow Illinois to get Indiana into some type of bidding war at this point. Log in to Reply
You’re expecting Mike Braun to all the sudden be an effective leader? What part of his biography would ever give you the impression that’s in his skill set? He’s a rich guy who fooled enough people into thinking he’s a common man because he wore a blue shirt. He fooled you all into thinking property tax relief was for voters when it was instead for businesses. And he’s got you all fooled into thinking this stadium will be a good thing for Indiana when it will be a boondoggle hosting nothing but Monster Jam in 25 years while we face yet another services cut in Indiana to pay off the bonds.
I have said from the beginning…the Bears aren’t leaving Illinois…..
+1 John P
I hope not!
“…lawmakers can’t advance a plan to keep the team in the state until the franchise makes clear what kind of deal it wants.” It seems Indiana figured it out.
And yet the Bears didn’t commit. It’s obvious they have been leveraging the threat of leaving for Indiana to get what they really want from IL.
Yes ! It’s even obvious to a blind man that the Bears were playing both sides to leverage the best deal,
Illinois absolutely overplayed their hand, and now they are staring down the barrel of a self-inflicted disaster.
Nope. This was a bunch of posturing by all sides. I could have written this script a year ago.
They told them but didn’t listen. Typical leftist incompetence when it comes to business.
+1
They will stay in IL and then you can eat your “leftist” comment, okay big guy?
leftist are completely incompetent. they ruin everything
Typical Radical Right comment
Yeah, all those incometent leftist business rules. Like the SEC, pollution, employment discrimination, wage and hour, all those things that make it possible for the workers to have some protection. Business isn’t just about the corporations; its also about the folks who make the products, and the consumers who buy them. A free hand to the corporations results in industrial waste dumps near water supplies, unbreathable air, products that don’t work, people injured on the job with no help on medical bills or wages.
It’s so funny hearing this from Republicans in a state that takes far more federal dollars than it provides, thanks to our fellow Americans living in blue states. I’d say that they should study the cognitive dissonance and lack of self reflection it takes to be so unaware of reality, but I’m pretty sure DOGE cut funding for that so that we could give the money to Iran instead
Timothy S.
How’s that job creation going in Illinois with all those leftists leaders and their policies compared to red states such as Texas and Tennessee??
Downtown Chicago lost four major corporate headquarters two years ago. These corporations didn’t just move to the suburbs, they left the state completely for Texas, Florida, Virginia, and another state.
Leftists run cities and states are NOT attracting businesses or people.
Keith, are you arguing that Austin, Dallas, and Houston are conservative cities? Because lol. Red states are lucky to have their blue cities oases in them. Otherwise, we’d all be like Arkansas or North Dakota and would be a backwater country instead of a superpower.
So the crazy IL leftists should have just bowed down and raised taxes like Indiana even though every independent economist that studies taxpayer-funded stadiums will tell you the juice isn’t worth the squeeze. Those concept drawings of new stadiums do look cool though.
lol….The state of Illinois is finally asking what the Bears want???
I have said for years that hardest part of sales is finding out what the customer wants. But they seldom just come right out and tell you what that is. However, once you identify the “want”, it’s easy. Just get it to them.
This one is easy. If the Bears come to Indiana, Indiana wins. If the Bears stay in Illinois, Indiana wins.
Illinois has come to the brink of losing an icon of their State to “lowly” Indiana. They are already losing companies and residents to the Hoosier State. This will be the most public failure of their government.
Indiana will have forced Illinois to pay through the nose for the right to keep “Their Bears”.
The free advertisement The Region is getting around the world for this is well worth it.
Mike.Royko is rolling in his grave
Exactly how much is the brand of NYC harmed by their football teams playing across the river in New Jersey?
Indiana would have been better suited spending a billion dollars on infrastructure and placemaking in The Region (duplicate what Carmel did) than a football stadium that will be empty the second the Bears can leave. And, oh yeah, our state legislators are diverting some of the money and resources that have kept Indianapolis landing all those big sporting events … to Hammond as part of the “deal”.
It’s a boondoggle and we can only hope Illinois officials save us from a terrible mistake.
Apples and oranges. Illinois should have not fought so hard to keep the team in Illinois, but they look down on The Region. Unlike NYC or even with the move across state lines for The Chiefs. Very little concern because they accept that areas across the river are all part of their city. Same attitude with Cincy and NKY.
Had Illinois not taken the Bears bait, they would be looking at a stadium in Arlington instead of having to write a blank check to the Bears.
How do you place make The Region? It has such a negative image from industrial steel mills to crime and failed attempts to reimagine itself. It is certainly not Carmel. It is more Pittsburgh, and it has taken decades and billions for Pittsburgh to lose that reputation.
On the other hand, you put a domed stadium, minutes from downtown Chicago, that will host a Superbowl, will host massive concerts, will host NCAA Final Fours and on and on, and you have made the region a defacto part of Chicago.
Yes it will compete with Indy for B10 Football and other Championships, but an Arlington stadium would have as well
Raymond, those Final Fours and Big Ten championship games will come at the expense of Indianapolis. And will people stay in Hammond for them? Oh heck no, they will stay in Chicago and commute. Meanwhile, the Chicago Bears will keep all the revenue. It’s even more of a lose-lose for us than Lucas Oil Stadium.
Indiana is getting played badly on this and our leadership is behaving foolishly.
How do you placemake the region? Schools people want their kids to attend, parks and amenities. It’s not hard, you just have to have the will to spend money, which we don’t in Indiana.
It seems as though if Indiana really wants the business, and I believe they do, Braun and everyone involved needs to use its own leverage and not just be the leverage. They need to put their own pressure and timeline on the family to make a decision. Why allow Illinois to get Indiana into some type of bidding war at this point.
You’re expecting Mike Braun to all the sudden be an effective leader? What part of his biography would ever give you the impression that’s in his skill set?
He’s a rich guy who fooled enough people into thinking he’s a common man because he wore a blue shirt. He fooled you all into thinking property tax relief was for voters when it was instead for businesses.
And he’s got you all fooled into thinking this stadium will be a good thing for Indiana when it will be a boondoggle hosting nothing but Monster Jam in 25 years while we face yet another services cut in Indiana to pay off the bonds.