The Chicago Bears will soon have a rather awkward problem.
They will still be called the Chicago Bears, but they will no longer play in Chicago.
In fact, they will no longer even play in Illinois.
The franchise announced Friday morning that it is moving forward with plans to build a new stadium in Hammond, Indiana, just across the state line from Chicago.
The team released a statement from Chairman George H. McCaskey and President & CEO Kevin Warren explaining the decision to leave the city and state:
STATEMENT FROM CHICAGO BEARS CHAIRMAN GEORGE H. MCCASKEY AND PRESIDENT & CEO KEVIN WARREN
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. 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 Chicago Bears just informed Illinois that they are taking one of the state’s most recognizable institutions to a red state that can now collect revenue from multiple NFL franchises.
That is a more stunning failure than usual for Democratic Governor JB Pritzker, far-left Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson, and the political leaders who spent years fumbling negotiations to get a deal done for sports fans and a team that is synonymous with the Windy City.
The Bears made it clear for years that they wanted a modern stadium, and they were flexible.