As early as late last year, the Chicago Bears announced in an open letter to the public that they were expanding their search for a new stadium location. Now it’s clear: The new stadium will be built in Indiana.

The Chicago Bears will build their new stadium in Hammond, Indiana. The team announced this on its website and on social media.

Until now, the franchise played in the eponymous city of Chicago in the state of Illinois.

Stadium originally planned for Chicago

The Bears’ current stadium, “Soldier Field,” is the oldest stadium in the NFL. Club owner George McCaskey and President Kevin Warren had therefore long wanted to build a new, more modern stadium.

In 2023, the franchise purchased a plot of land in the Chicago suburb of Arlington Heights for this purpose. However, construction never began there. The reason: The Bears had apparently hoped for financial support, which the state of Illinois was unwilling to provide.

Warren saw the plans as being jeopardized by this and addressed the public in an open letter late last year. In it, he wrote: “We have not requested any state tax dollars for the construction of the stadium in Arlington Park.” They had merely asked for support for “essential local infrastructure (roads, utility lines, and site development).”

This support did not materialize. “Our efforts have not met with any legislative partnership,” Warren said. Furthermore, political leaders had indicated that the project would not be a priority in 2026. As a result, the franchise expanded its search for a new location.

NFL: Chicago Bears to Build New Stadium in Indiana

Now, McCaskey and Warren have issued a statement on their website regarding the future stadium location, which reads: “Yesterday, the Chicago Bears Board of Directors met and decided to move forward with our stadium construction project in Hammond, Indiana, with the exact location still to be determined.”

They continued: “We are convinced that a world-class stadium project in Hammond will transform the region by connecting northwest Indiana to Chicago’s South Side via the Loop and extending across neighborhoods and suburbs to the north of the city. It will bring the Chicagoland region together and open up new opportunities for its residents and businesses.”

NFL: Indiana Bears Instead of Chicago Bears in the Future?

However, it is rather unlikely that the franchise’s name will change as a result of the move. There are already several teams in the NFL that do not play in the state mentioned in their name: For example, the New York Giants and New York Jets play in the neighboring state of New Jersey.

On the field, the Bears just had their best season since 2018. With an 11-6 record, the franchise won the NFC North and advanced to the playoffs. There, the team led by quarterback Caleb Williams defeated the Green Bay Packers before narrowly losing to the Los Angeles Rams in the Divisional Round.