SPRINGFIELD — The Bears have thrown out myriad options for where the team would like to make their future home.
But whether its next to Soldier Field, or in Arlington Heights, or on the former Michael Reese Hospital site, all those plans involve some public money.
Now, one state lawmaker wants to put a big condition on providing any public money: The Bears have to win.
State Rep. Bob Morgan, D-Highwood, introduced new legislation requiring sports teams seeking taxpayer assistance to have won at least half their games in three of the last five seasons.
“Our primary goal with this bill is not to punish teams, but to ensure that Illinois taxpayers’ dollars are spent responsibly,” Morgan said in a news release Thursday. “No one wants to see taxpayer dollars wasted by billionaire team owners that are not investing in their teams’ competitiveness.”
Disagreements over property taxes and public funding have driven the discussion of the Bears’ desire to leave century-old Soldier Field, where the team has played since 1971.
But there’s been no headway in obtaining state funds to help subsidize a new stadium . Gov. JB Pritzker has on multiple occasions said neither he nor the public has much appetite for using public dollars to assist any professional sports teams in the state with new stadium constructions or renovations.
Morgan’s bill offers a way — just not right away. “Da Bears Stadium Oversight Act” effectively closes the door to any immediate help for the Bears.
For more than a year, the team has pushed for both state and city funds to help build a new stadium. But with their dismal record in recent seasons, the Bears, as well as Bulls and Blackhawks, all would be ineligible for public financing related to stadium construction, renovation and maintenance. (Though neither the Bulls nor Blackhawks are clamoring to leave the United Center).
On the other hand, the Cubs and White Sox just barely meet the threshold with three .500-or-better seasons since 2020. The White Sox, like the Bears, have floated a scenario for a new stadium, though the Sox want to build theirs along the Chicago River just south of Roosevelt Road.
“While I don’t support using taxpayer dollars for stadiums, this framework ensures that, if funds are spent, they go to teams offering the best return on investment,” Morgan said in his statement.
Interest in staying on the lakefront surfaced relatively late for the Bears. Two years ago, it seemed certain they were headed for the suburbs.
In 2023, the Bears finalized the $197.2 million purchase of the former Arlington International Racecourse, designating the 326-acre plot as a site for a new stadium that would anchor a massive residential and retail development.
After 21 months of sparring with the village of Arlington Heights and local school district leaders, the Bears reached a tentative agreement over property tax valuation on the now-cleared site.
Despite their suburban success, team officials insist their first choice remains Chicago.
On Monday, NFL commissioner Roger Goodell called the Bears’ process “very thoughtful,” and cited the need for NFL cities to have state-of-the-art stadiums.