Ahead of the 2025 home opener, Chicago Bears president Kevin Warren announced plans to move the team out of Chicago.
“We are at a pivotal juncture of the Chicago Bears franchise to build a new stadium, our future home in Arlington Heights, which will require zero state money for construction. This is the year to finalize our stadium plans so we can officially bid to host a Super Bowl as soon as 2031,” Warren wrote in a letter addressed to Bears fans. “This is the moment to begin moving toward that future, and we want you with us.”
He went on to reveal that the 326 acres plot of land in Arlington Heights, a suburb northwest of downtown, purchased in 2023 would be the future site of the team’s stadium.
“Moving outside of the city of Chicago is not a decision we reached easily,” he continued. “This project does not represent us leaving, it represents us expanding.”
He pitched the idea to fans with stats including “56,000 construction jobs, and 9,000 permanent jobs,” “over 50 percent of our season-ticket holders live within 25 miles of the Arlington Heights site,” and “$10 billion in economic impact attributed to statewide construction.”
“It is a once-in-a-generation opportunity for Chicago, its surrounding communities, and the state of Illinois to become the pinnacle of sports and entertainment destinations,” Warren added. “For more than 50 years, Soldier Field has been our home. But so too were Wrigley Field, Memorial Stadium, and Staley Field. We hope Arlington Heights will soon join that list – not because of its steel, brick, or glass, but because it will house what is irreplaceable to this franchise: You. Our Fans. Our Family.”
The Bears are getting set to take on their division rival Minnesota Vikings at Soldier Field for the first Monday Night Football of the season.
