(SPRINGFIELD, IL) - A potential battle is brewing between Illinois and Indiana over the future home of the Chicago Bears.
The NFL franchise is looking to leave Chicago's historic Soldier Field, where the team has played for decades. Indiana lawmakers are attempting to lure the Bears across the state line with a proposal to build a domed stadium in Hammond, about 25 miles from downtown Chicago.
Indiana Governor Mike Braun signed legislation February 26 creating the Northwest Indiana Stadium Authority, which would finance and oversee construction of a new stadium near Wolf Lake. The Bears would sign a proposed 35-year lease, with construction costs repaid through increased local hospitality taxes.
Meanwhile, Illinois lawmakers are advancing legislation designed to keep the team in the state. The proposal would offer tax incentives for large development projects, including the Bears' proposed stadium and entertainment complex in Arlington Heights.
The Bears purchased a former horse racing track in Arlington Heights in 2023 and have proposed a $5 billion development that would include a domed stadium, housing, hotels and retail space.
The team has also floated a separate plan for a new stadium near Soldier Field, though that proposal has received little support in Springfield.
The Bears are one of the NFL's founding franchises, established in Decatur, Illinois in 1920 before moving to Chicago the following year.
The team currently has a lease at Soldier Field through 2033. Breaking that agreement would require the Bears to pay a penalty of about $10.5 million for each remaining year on the contract.