• Loading stock data...
Thursday, October 16, 2025

Bears Set to Forge Ahead With Domed Lakefront Stadium Plans

  • The NFL team has scheduled a Wednesday press conference to detail stadium plans.
  • White Sox owner Jerry Reinsdorf responds to a call to ‘put some skin in the game.’
Chicago Bears

The Bears know a thing or two about timing and are set to make a big announcement a day before Thursday’s NFL draft, where they hold the No. 1 pick.

Chicago is advancing its efforts to build a lakefront stadium just south of Soldier Field (above), showing some initial progress in the face of opposition to the team’s plans. 

The NFL team has called a Wednesday press conference to detail its plans for a “state-of-the-art, publicly owned enclosed stadium” on the city’s Museum Campus near Lake Michigan. The move builds materially on the Bears’ announced intent last month to stay in the city of Chicago after a lengthy tour of alternate options across the area suburbs. 

Reading Between the Lines

Like any other stadium project, there is still a very long way to go between an event like this press conference and an actual opening. But this latest step does show the depth of the Bears’ desire to hone in on this particular location after initial resistance surfaced from two local preservation groups as well as in Arlington Heights, where the Bears previously intended to build the stadium.

And also like many other stadium developments, there are still significant questions about financing of the Bears’ project. The venue itself is projected to cost between $2.5 billion and $3 billion, with perhaps another $1 billion going toward roads and infrastructure improvements. The Bears have pledged $2 billion toward the effort. There have been talks about a potential “financing partnership” with the White Sox in which both teams would take a more collaborative approach to help ensure their respective efforts to build new stadiums get done. 

But how that remaining funding gap is filled, presumably with some form of taxpayer assistance, will be a critical factor—particularly given that there is no deal in place with either the city of Chicago or the state of Illinois.

“If we’re going to build 21st-century stadiums, we have to make sure that that investment is activating the entire city of Chicago, and these conversations, particularly with the Bears, have been quite positive,” Chicago mayor Brandon Johnson said last week. “I appreciate the leadership of [team president] Kevin Warren. … But no, we have not made any commitments to any new forms of revenue.”

The Bears’ stadium saga remains one of the most closely watched issues across the NFL, as well as the rest of the sports industry. Despite being the country’s third-largest media market, Chicago, for years, has been shut out of hosting major events such as the Super Bowl and Final Four, as it does not have a large-scale domed stadium. 

South Side Shift

The White Sox, meanwhile, are facing some resistance in their efforts to build a successor facility to Guaranteed Rate Field, and do so closer to downtown Chicago. Johnson recently vetoed an idea of using the city’s amusement tax for either the Bears’ stadium project or the one advanced by White Sox owner Jerry Reinsdorf, and added that the MLB team owner needs to “put some skin in the game.”

To that end, Crain’s Chicago Business reported that Reinsdorf is prepared to pay at least $200 million toward the project. But with initial cost estimates for the White Sox stadium hovering around $1.2 billion—a figure likely to escalate—a significant funding gap remains there, too. 

Linkedin
Whatsapp
Copy Link
Link Copied
Link Copied

What to Read

Aug 30, 2025; Columbus, Ohio, USA; Ohio State Buckeyes wide receiver Brandon Inniss (1) attempts to make a catch over Texas Longhorns defensive back Graceson Littleton (29) in the first half at Ohio Stadium.

SEC Games Help ABC Dominate College Football Ratings at Midseason

Texas–Ohio State on Fox remains the most-watched game of the season.

Steelers’ Shared Stadium With Pitt Comes Under Fire for Bad Turf

The conditions at Acrisure Stadium have been subpar this season.
Tortillas

Texas Tech-Kansas Tortilla-Knife Mess Ends With $50K in Fines

Texas Tech’s tortilla tradition got both teams in trouble.

Featured Today

May 25, 2025; Indianapolis, Indiana, USA; Derek Jeter walks the red carpet on Sunday, May 25, 2025, ahead of the 109th running of the Indianapolis 500 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway

The Players’ Tribune Is Still Kicking 11 Years Later

Founder Derek Jeter is still closely involved in the publication.
Las Vegas Aces center A'ja Wilson (22) celebrates with her teammates after her last second shot to take the lead 90-88 against the Phoenix Mercury in Game 3 of the WNBA Finals at Mortgage Matchup Center in Phoenix on Oct. 8, 2025.
exclusive
October 10, 2025

Standoff Over WNBA’s Future Has Dominated Finals

CBA negotiations have stolen the spotlight from the Aces’ dominant performance.
Paul Cartier
October 5, 2025

Sports Organists Are Still Thriving in the Era of Raucous Arena Music

“When they walk out and they see a real organ guy, it’s like, ‘Wow.’”
Sep 27, 2025; Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA; Milwaukee Brewers center fielder Jackson Chourio (11) rounds the bases after hitting a home run during the sixth inning against the Cincinnati Reds at American Family Field.
October 4, 2025

Milwaukee Moneyball: Brewers Are Beating MLB’s Deeper Pockets

Milwaukee is holding its own against big-budget competitors.

Bears Hit Another Speed Bump for New $5B Stadium in Suburbs

A new state bill would impose several conditions on the NFL team.
Nov 17, 2024; New Orleans, Louisiana, USA; Detailed view of a Cleveland Browns helmet on a time out against the New Orleans Saints during the first half at Caesars Superdome.
October 7, 2025

Cleveland Takes New Shot at Blocking Browns’ $2.4B Stadium

A new lawsuit challenges a permit for the NFL team’s planned stadium.
October 13, 2025

Browns, Cleveland Reach $100M Deal to Clear Team’s Move to Suburbs

The surprise truce includes financial payments and the dismissal of lawsuits.
Sponsored

How Jenny Just Is Shaping the Future of Sports Ownership

Jenny Just on bringing her investment experience to sports ownership.
October 7, 2025

Rays Owner Eyes New ‘Forever Home’ Like Atlanta’s Battery

The club’s new owners target a new ballpark opening in 2029.
Sep 23, 2025; Dallas, Texas, USA; Dallas Stars forward Adam Erne (76) looks on during the game between the Dallas Stars and the Minnesota Wild at American Airlines Center
exclusive
October 3, 2025

Dallas Stars Eyeing Possible Move to Plano in 2031

The team needs to figure out where they’ll play starting in 2031.
Chicago Bears stadium rendering
October 1, 2025

Bears Want $855M in Public Money for Suburban Stadium

The NFL team details an updated ask for public money.
September 29, 2025

A’s Unveil Sacramento Jerseys As Vegas Development Advances

The club unveils an alternate “Sacramento” jersey as Las Vegas plans advance.