Adam Hoge: Bears are on '1/2-yard line' in moving to Hammond, Indiana in new stadium deal

TL;DR

The Chicago Bears have effectively pivoted to Hammond, Indiana, with a near-finalized stadium deal after Illinois repeatedly stalled legislation.

Key Points

• 1.Indiana's Ways and Means Committee amended Senate Bill 27 in a 24-0 vote, with every speaker — including the House Speaker — treating the Bears' move as a done deal.
• 2.Indiana's funding blueprint mirrors Lucas Oil Stadium's model: bond issuance, a Hammond city tax, renegotiated Indiana Toll Road lease, a Lake County food and beverage tax, and a 5% innkeeper's tax.
• 3.The Bears are expected to contribute $2 billion toward the Indiana stadium, which will have a roof enabling year-round concerts and events — though ownership/revenue-sharing details aren't yet finalized.
• 4.The last remaining hurdle is site due diligence near Wolf Lake in Hammond, echoing the 1999 Patriots-Hartford situation where a signed deal collapsed after construction site contamination was discovered.
• 5.Illinois has been repeatedly cited for its messy, stalled process — the Bears wanted legislation passed by May 2025, it never came to a vote, and Kevin Warren's December letter revealed Illinois told them they weren't a 2026 priority.
• 6.The key reason Illinois likely can't win the Bears back: it can't match Indiana's financial deal without heavily burdening Illinois taxpayers, and a year-plus of political dysfunction has damaged the relationship beyond easy repair.