Are the Bears moving to Indiana? Explaining NFL team's 'done deal' to leave Illinois for new stadium

Are the Bears moving to Indiana? Explaining NFL team's 'done deal' to leave Illinois for new stadium originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

>On Friday, the Chicago Bears made significant headway in their attempted move out of Soldier Field in the Windy City.

>The team's Board of Directors voted in favor of making progress in the team's new stadium set to be put up in Hammond, Ind., according to Adam Schefter. While it's not fully finalized yet, the team has made significant progress since the idea's inception.

>If the team does leave its long-time post in Chicago, it would become the fourth NFL team this century to relocate to different state.

>Here's the latest on the Bears' move out of Chicago and into the Hoosier state.

>MORE: What is Chicago's complete schedule for the 2026 NFL season?

Are the Bears moving to Indiana?Chicago's Board of Directors held a vote on Thursday regarding whether or not to proceed with stadium progress in Hammond, Ind., for the first time, according to Adam Schefter. The vote ended with a successful advancement, and the team appears set to be on the move over state borders.

The Bears’ Board of Directors voted Thursday to advance the stadium development in Hammond, Indiana, with the exact to be selected. This is this first time that the Bears’ board has voted on any stadium site.

As one source said, “There is more work to do but barring anything… pic.twitter.com/4TQTbeJKrL

— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) June 5, 2026According to a source from Schefter, "There is more work to do but barring anything very strange, it’s a done deal.”

While I’m being told that the Bears announcement on Hammond is “real”, i.e. not a leverage play, a league source told me that the Bears leaving the state is not a done deal. Per source, Indiana is in the lead right now, but “Illinois can still get back in the race,” granted the…

— Courtney Cronin (@CourtneyRCronin) June 5, 2026Here is NFL insider Tom Pelissero discussing the matter on The Rich Eisen Show​​​​​​, along with what it will mean for both the areas of Chicago and Indiana.

💻 @TomPelissero

Are #DaBears really moving to Indiana? What's the latest coming from Chicago?#NFLpic.twitter.com/GHNV3EQxXs

— Rich Eisen Show (@RichEisenShow) June 5, 2026According to Indianapolis Colts insider Joel A. Erickson, the team released a statement regarding Chicago's potential move to their state. Here is what the team said, per Erickson.

Colts statement: “We’re happy for the Bears and wish them the best in their stadium initiative. We also hope this will mean great things for community and economic development for our fellow Hoosiers in northwest Indiana."

— Joel A. Erickson (@JoelAErickson) June 5, 2026Illinois' governor, JB Pritzker, also shed some light on the potential Bears' move to Indiana, even going as far as stating that the team's shifting position regarding a future stadium location has "hindered their progress." Here is what else Pritzker said:

pic.twitter.com/Tr9QCa1adq

— Governor JB Pritzker (@GovPritzker) June 5, 2026A large reason why the Bears may have to move out of Illinois is a "megaprojects" bill failing in the state's senate last week, according to ESPN. The bill would have allowed the Bears to negotiate payments instead of paying property taxes on the Arlington Heights, Ill., site they presently own, which used to be the Arlington International Racecourse. The Illinois town was also in consideration for the team's next move, prior to the bill's decision in the state senate.

>On Sunday night, Illinois state Senator Bill Cunningham (D-Chicago) introduced new legislation that would allow Cook County, the county that houses the greater Chicago area, cities with more than 70,000 residents (ie, Chicago and Arlington Heights) to craft their own sports stadium authority. In exchange for the site's land being publicly owned, the Bears would pay for the construction of the new stadium.

>The new bill passed the Illinois Senate 37-17 early on Monday morning. The Bears have continued in their stance that they cannot build a stadium without property tax certainty, which the state of Indiana passed legislation to guarantee in February.

>MORE: How hard is the Bears' schedule this season?

Where will the Bears' new stadium be?If the team does move out of Soldier Field in Chicago, after Thursday's team vote, Hammond, Ind., looks like the place to be. Nothing is set in stone yet, as there is still a chance Illinois can salvage its state's lone football team, still playing in its borders.

>Chicago Bears' Chairman George H. McCaskey and President & CEO Kevin Warren released the following statement on early Friday afternoon:

Statement from Chairman George H. McCaskey and President & CEO Kevin Warren: pic.twitter.com/HE002RffIX

— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) June 5, 2026"We believe a world-class stadium project in Hammond will transform the region," Bears chairman George H. McCaskey and CEO Kevin Warren said, "connecting Northwest Indiana and the South Side of Chicago through the Loop and across the neighborhoods and suburbs stretching north of the city."

>According to the Chicago Sun-Times, the Lost Marsh Golf Course in Hammond is a potential site for the stadium.

>MORE: Complete list of Super Bowl MVPs through the years

Hammond, IndianaIf the Bears were to move out of their current Soldier Field, Hammond, Ind., has garnered a lot of attention as a potential landing spot. The city is contained within the red dotted line below:

Google Maps

If the 2026 NFC Championship participant does make the move to Hammond, they would be moving into a city with 75,712 people, according to the 2025 Census. Purdue University has a campus in the southern part of the city called Purdue University Northwest - Hammond campus.

>The city is also located around 23 miles away from Soldier Field in Chicago.

>MORE:What grade did the Bears get for their 2026 draft class?

When are the Bears moving?At the moment, it is not definite that the Bears are moving out of the city of Chicago. Conversations are currently underway, but nothing is set in stone yet.

>This will be updated if further advancements about a potential move are made.

How old is Soldier Field?Soldier Field first opened on October 9,  1924, as Municipal Grant Park Stadium, according to the Illinois Sports Facilities Authority. While the site has been renovated a number of times, the home field for the Chicago side is the oldest football stadium in the NFL.

>Oddly enough, the Bears did not move into Soldier Field until 1971. At the stadium's inception, it was used by the Chicago Cardinals, according to ESPN.

What state is Soldier Field in?The current stadium for the Bears is in Illinois. The city of Chicago houses one of the first teams to join the National Football League.

>Chicago's squad is the only team to play football in the Prairie State. If the Bears do move out of the city of Chicago, there will still be one professional sports team that calls Soldier Field home: the Chicago Fire (MLS).

>If Illinois loses the Bears, it will mark the fourth time this century the state has lost an NFL team, as the Kansas City Chiefs announced their 2031 arrival in Kansas from the state of Missouri, the Oakland Raiders moved to Las Vegas in 2020, and the St. Louis Rams left for Los Angeles ahead of the 2016 season.