• Loading stock data...
Friday, September 12, 2025
Tuned In is Almost Sold Out! Limited Tickets Remain!

Bears Stadium Push Stalls As Pritzker Repeats Funding Rejection

  • Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker provides another sobering assessment of the NFL team’s search for public funds.
  • Numerous Chicago-area community groups unite in opposition to the stadium proposal.
David Banks-Imagn Images

The Bears opened the 2024 season with a dramatic, come-from-behind victory, and there’s new optimism surrounding the team on the field. But when it comes to the ongoing push to develop a lakefront stadium, the NFL franchise is still largely stuck.

Bears president Kevin Warren met again last week with Anne Caprara, the chief of staff for Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker, in an effort to jump-start the team’s bid for public funding toward roughly half the cost of a $4.7 billion domed facility—something previously described by the state leader as “near impossible” in the upcoming legislative term. Following that meeting, Pritzker offered yet another sobering assessment, saying “nothing has changed” with regard to the low appetite for public funding in the state for pro sports stadiums. 

“We want Illinois businesses to do well,” Pritzker said. “This is a privately owned business. If I can find some way to assist, great. But right now, there is no building any new stadiums.” 

The same situation applies to MLB’s White Sox, which are also trying to develop a new ballpark, in part with taxpayer funds, and are nearing a modern-era MLB record for losses in a season

Warren has repeatedly made the case that Chicago, the No. 3 U.S. media market, is losing out on hosting major events such as the Super Bowl, Final Four, and College Football Playoff with a modern, domed facility. The Bears’ ongoing stadium saga remains one of the NFL’s most pressing, and closely watched, facility sagas. 

Renewed Community Opposition

The Bears’ effort, meanwhile, is also facing a fresh round of pushback from a newly formed coalition of preservation and community organizations. Friends of the Parks, a group focused on protecting the Chicago lakefront, was an early opponent of the team’s development plans. Now that body is working collaboratively with several other groups and community leaders to fight against the proposed Bears stadium. 

“As great as it would be to have a domed stadium, Chicago should not put a ‘sold’ sign on our lakefront,” said Gin Kilgore, interim executive director of Friends of the Parks.

Linkedin
Whatsapp
Copy Link
Link Copied
Link Copied

What to Read

Eagles-Chiefs Super Bowl Rematch Could Set More NFL Ratings Records

Fox will nationally televise Sunday afternoon’s matchup.
Sep 6, 2025; Boulder, Colorado, USA; General view of a Fox Sports camera station before the game between the Delaware Fightin Blue Hens against the Colorado Buffaloes at Folsom Field.

Lachlan Murdoch on Fox’s Sports Strategy, FanDuel Plans

The executive calls a forthcoming streaming bundle with ESPN “essential” for fans.
Mar 4, 2025; Washington, DC, USA; House Majority Leader Steve Scalise, R-La., speaks with Rep. Marjorie Taylor-Greene, R-Ga., ahead of President Trump’s address to a joint session of Congress at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C., on March 4, 2025.

House Republicans Delay SCORE Act Vote Tentatively Planned for Next Week

They didn’t believe they had enough votes to pass the bill.

Paramount-WBD Merger Would Create Sports Superpower

The companies’ combined sports offerings would rival ESPN.

Featured Today

ESPN’s ‘MNF’ Ratings Up 8% As NFL Surges to Strong Start

ESPN posts its second-best Week 1 “Monday Night Football” audience.
Sep 7, 2025; Orchard Park, New York, USA; Buffalo Bills fans react during the fourth quarter against the Baltimore Ravens at Highmark Stadium.
September 9, 2025

As Bills Ascend, Their Next Frontier Lies in Canada

Buffalo and the powerful Canadian entity MLSE come together in a new pact.
opinion
September 9, 2025

The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly from NFL’s Week 1 Broadcasts

Many viewers decried the addition of ads to “NFL RedZone.”
Aug 23, 2025; Tampa, Florida, USA; Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen (17) leads the team onto the field for warm ups before a game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Raymond James Stadium.
September 7, 2025

Slow Burn: The NFL’s Private-Equity Era So Far

Three deals have been struck to date. But the league is bullish.
Aug 23, 2025; New Orleans, Louisiana, USA; Detailed view of the Denver Broncos helmet against the New Orleans Saints during warmups at Caesars Superdome.

Broncos Eye 2031 Opening for New Multibillion-Dollar Stadium

The NFL team plans a new venue and mixed-use development.
August 28, 2025

As CFB Programs Add Corporate Field Logos, Are Jersey Patches Next?

Texas is adding a sponsor’s logo to its football field this season.
Aug 22, 2025; Bridgeview, Illinois, USA; Chicago Stars FC forward Jameese Joseph (8) passes the ball during the first half of a match against the North Carolina Courage at SeatGeek Stadium.
September 4, 2025

Chicago Stars FC Move to Evanston After 12 Years in Bridgeview

Stadium plans beyond the 2026 season aren’t solidified. 
Sponsored

How World Series Champ Dexter Fowler Became a Premier League Team Owner

Dexter Fowler discusses navigating retirement and embracing new roles as an owner & investor.
Dec 10, 2024; Salt Lake City, Utah, USA; A general view of the Delta Center before the game between the Utah Hockey Club and the Minnesota Wild.
August 19, 2025

Utah’s Sports Boom Expands Into Music, Emulating Atlanta

The Jazz and Mammoth owner strikes a major deal with Live Nation.
August 18, 2025

Browns $2.4B Stadium Plan Runs Into Airspace Turbulence

The team’s proposed stadium is deemed a threat to nearby airport operations.
Sofi Stadium
August 14, 2025

Los Angeles Olympics Will be First to Sell Venue Naming Rights

The decision breaks with a longstanding Olympic policy.
Nov 30, 2017; Arlington, TX, USA; General overall view of the Dallas Cowboys logo at midfield during an NFL football game between the Washington Redskins and the Cowboys at AT&T Stadium.
August 14, 2025

Arlington Pays Off Its Cowboys Stadium Debt 10 Years Early

Another major NFL venue retires its public debt far ahead of schedule.