After a successful season, which saw the Chicago Bears win the NFC North, the franchise has announced major plans ahead of the 2026 NFL season. The Bears released a team statement on their search for a new stadium location, as major developments occurred in the state legislatures of both Illinois and Indiana. Confirming these plans, Indiana Governor Mike Braun issued a statement indicating the potential new site for the Bears’ stadium.

“Indiana is open for business, and our pro-growth environment continues to attract major opportunities like this partnership with the Chicago Bears,” Braun said on X. “We’ve identified a promising site near Wolf Lake in Hammond and established a broad framework for negotiating a final deal. If approved, the proposed amendment to Senate Bill 27 puts forward the essential framework to complete this agreement, contingent upon site due diligence proceeding smoothly.”

This statement by Mike Braun comes up after members of the state House Ways and Means Committee discussed a Senate bill that would create the Northwest Indiana Stadium Authority, which would help acquire multi-billion-dollar funding for the new stadium. This arena would be owned by the state agency, while the $8.2 billion franchise would lease the stadium at Wolf Lake in Hammond, Indiana.

According to reporting from Front Office Sports, the Bears are currently close to a $5 billion deal to finalize this move to Hammond. Front Office Sports noted that for nearly three years, the Bears have been unable to close a stadium deal in Illinois, creating a legislative and financial opening that Indiana is now aggressively taking advantage of.

Before this recent announcement, Arlington Heights in Illinois emerged as the most logical location after the team purchased the former racetrack property. However, this proposal brought with it political and logistical hurdles. Now, with the plans for Illinois’ location hitting a roadblock after the canceled committee meeting, as per WGN, Indiana emerged as the next best option.

News served to you like never before!

Prefer us on Google, To get latest news on feed

Prefer Us on Google

While Indiana’s Wolf Lake proposal takes center stage, the Chicago Bears did not hold back in expressing their enthusiasm for the potential move across state lines. Doubling down on their commitment to the Hammond site, the franchise released a statement, implying it’s now the definitive plan.

Bears All-In on Indiana: Franchise Backs Wolf Lake Vision

With Indiana Governor Mike Braun confirming plans for the new location for the stadium in Wolf Lake, Hammond, the Chicago Bears released a statement expressing their enthusiasm for this new development. The franchise also issued a vote of thanks to Braun and other important figures for their support in this process.

“The passage of SB 27 would mark the most meaningful step forward in our stadium planning efforts to date,” the statement by the Bears said. “We are committed to finishing the remaining site-specific necessary due diligence to support our vision to build a world-class stadium near the Wolf Lake area in Hammond, Indiana. We appreciate the leadership shown by Governor Braun, Speaker Huston, Senator Mishler, and members of the Indiana General Assembly in establishing this critical framework and path forward to deliver a premier venue for all of Chicagoland and a destination for Bears fans and visitors from across the globe. We value our partnership and look forward to continuing to build our working relationship together.”

With both the Bears and Indiana officials firmly aligned, the Wolf Lake proposal has quickly evolved from a contingency plan into the frontrunner. Should Senate Bill 27 pass and due diligence be clear, it could mark a historic moment where the Chicago franchise crosses state lines in Hammond, Indiana.