• Loading stock data...
Friday, August 29, 2025
The biggest names in sports media. All in one room. Get your ticket now!

Chicago Wants Super Bowls and Final Fours. The Price? Nearly $5 Billion

  • The NFL team presents an ambitious vision for the new facility, but funding questions remain.
  • Hosting a Super Bowl, something previously unavailable to the Bears, sits as a central piece of proposal.
Chicago Bears

The Bears, of course, are a football team, but to borrow terminology from basketball events they now hope to host, the team is now putting on a full-court press to advance their vision of a new, domed lakefront stadium.

As expected, the Bears on Wednesday unveiled a detailed vision for a new stadium just south of the existing Soldier Field, building materially from the team’s initially stated intent last month to remain in the city of Chicago. Armed with an extensive deck of new renderings and a splashy hype video, team officials and Chicago mayor Brandon Johnson sought to rally support behind what would be one of the largest developments in the city’s long history. 

“This is not an easy project, but Chicago doesn’t like it easy,” Bears president Kevin Warren said. “We like to do the difficult things. We like to do the things that resonate with people for generations to come. It’s time for us to do something special together.”

The proposed publicly owned stadium—which would at last give the third-largest media market in the U.S. an opportunity to host major events such as the Super Bowl, College Football Playoff, and the Final Four—seeks to honor the existing character of the Chicago museum campus, including a preservation of the historic Soldier Field colonnades while also building a next-generation stadium, complete with a translucent roof (above) not unlike the ones at SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles and Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas. 

Sticker Shock

Despite the extensive scale of the team’s ambition, there remain serious questions about how the stadium will be funded. The total price tag is slightly higher than previously projected, now coming in at $3.2 billion, with at least $325 million and as much as $1.5 billion in additional infrastructure requirements. The Bears have pledged $2 billion in direct contributions, along with another $300 million in financing through the NFL. The team is asking for $900 million in public bonding, funded through the Illinois Sports Facilities Authority and backed by an existing hotel tax, while financial support for three planned phases of infrastructure improvements around the stadium is particularly undetermined.

“There are dollars that we believe exist at the state level, maybe the federal level, and potentially the city level,” Warren said. 

Johnson, however, reiterated “this project will result in no new taxes on the residents of Chicago.” Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker was not part of the Bears’ event Wednesday; he said he “remains skeptical” about the team’s proposal, adding that “I’m not sure this is among the highest priorities for taxpayers.”

Super Dreams

The prospect of hosting a Super Bowl at the new venue was a particular part of Warren’s pitch, and he cited the stadium’s location within walking distance of top-tier downtown restaurants and hotels, as well as the availability of two large-scale airports. 

“How many people would love to come to a Super Bowl in Chicago?” Warren asked. “Everyone.”

Linkedin
Whatsapp
Copy Link
Link Copied
Link Copied

What to Read

Dallas Wings

WNBA Teams Desperate to Expand Rosters Amid ‘Extreme Hardship’ 

The Wings are scrambling to field eight players Friday night.

Cowboys’ Parsons Approach Shows High Cost of Delayed Contracts

Parsons will sign a four-year, $188 million deal with the Packers.

Parsons Trade Reinforces Packers As NFL TV Powerhouse

Betting odds surge for Green Bay after acquiring the star defensive end.

Cowboys Can’t Bank on Mavericks’ Lottery Luck After Parsons Trade

The Mavericks lucked into Cooper Flagg through the 2025 NBA draft lottery.

Featured Today

‘You’re Going to Get Beat Up’: The Liberty’s All-Male Practice Squad

A select group suits up weekly to take on the defending champs.
August 24, 2025

The Honey Deuce Effect: How Tennis Perfected the Signature Cocktail

Sold every 1.5 seconds, they total more than $12 million in sales.
Dec 21, 2024; Austin, Texas, USA; Texas Longhorns quarterback Arch Manning (16) warms up as the Texas Longhorns prepare to play the Clemson Tigers in the first round of the College Football Playoffs at Darrell K Royal Texas Memorial Stadium.
August 23, 2025

Schools Are Hesitant to Allow PE Into Their Athletic Departments

Regardless of budget, schools don’t believe the risk is worth the reward.
Oct 2, 2024; Rosemont, IL, USA; Big Ten commissioner Tony Petitti speaks with the media during the 2024 Big Ten Women’s Basketball media day at Donald E. Stephens Convention Center.
August 22, 2025

‘Not Ready to Jump In’: Power 4 Commissioners Aren’t Sold on PE

Top leaders in college sports have yet to see a satisfactory proposal.

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

Texas is adding a sponsor’s logo to its football field this season.
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.
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.
Sponsored

Gareth Bale on MLS vs EPL, Retirement & Buying Cardiff City

Gareth Bale shares his post-soccer business playbook.
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.
Fans watch as players make it into the 18th hole during round three of the Waste Management Phoenix Open at TPC in Scottsdale on Feb. 8, 2025. Arizona Republic
August 13, 2025

Country Club Initiation Fees Soar With Golf’s Popularity

In many areas, would-be members are joining decade-long wait lists.
July 30, 2025

Browns Push Forward on $2.4B Stadium Despite Political Obstacles

The NFL team plans a stadium groundbreaking, despite funding and legal issues.