There is no plan.
The Indiana House Speaker Todd Huston has a major dilemma. Apparently he does not have an endless supply of public money to build sports venues but Indiana might have a chance at adding major league sports. Huston has decided to put all of his chips in and show the ownership of the Chicago Bears National Football League franchise that he wants them somewhere in northwest Indiana and it’s too bad Indianapolis in that city’s quest for state money for a Major League Soccer stadium in town. Huston said that “discussions involving the Bears need to happen quickly,” although it does not appear that the Illinois governor or the state legislature is in any rush to give the Bears’ franchise ownership any money to build a stadium in Arlington Heights, a Chicago suburb.
The Indiana Governor Mike Braun and several state legislators would support building a stadium for the football team. There is no offer on the table from Indiana. Hammond might be a spot of interest. It is less than 30 miles south of Chicago. In December 2025, the Bears’ franchise President and CEO Kevin Warren sent another letter to Bears’ ticket holders, marketing partners and fans updating them on how a possible move to suburban Arlington Heights is going. Well it turns out that moving to Arlington Heights is not going according to plan and another strategy may be needed. A plan to build a Major League Soccer stadium in Indianapolis to attract an MLS expansion franchise was gaining steam in 2025 but the plan needed state money. That plan seemingly has been shoved to the backburner. The Bears franchise ownership wanted more than a billion dollars from Illinois lawmakers for a stadium-village. It’s Indiana’s turn to come up with a public money offer for a Bears franchise venue.
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Evan can be reached at evan_weiner@hotmail.com
