Indiana lawmakers are no longer whispering about stealing the Chicago Bears. They are shouting it from the Statehouse roof.
House Speaker Todd Huston (R-Fishers) shocked reporters this week by personally taking the lead sponsorship on legislation that would create a powerful new state authority able to buy land, float billions in bonds, and build an NFL stadium in northwest Indiana. The move comes as Bears officials quietly admit negotiations with Illinois over public funding for a new domed lakefront stadium in Chicago have hit a brick wall.
This is now a full-court press to bring one of the NFL’s marquee franchises across state lines for the first time since the Colts bolted Baltimore in 1984.
Senate Already Passed the Key Bill — House Is Next
The Indiana Senate already approved Senate Bill 27 last week with little fanfare. The bill creates the Northwest Indiana Stadium Authority, a new government entity with sweeping powers to finance and construct a professional football stadium and surrounding development.
Huston told reporters he will spend the next two days touring potential sites in Lake and Porter counties with local leaders.
“I’m going to do everything we can,” Huston said. “This is an incredible economic opportunity for northwest Indiana and the entire state.”
The House version of the bill is expected to move quickly. Legislative leaders want a deal framework in place before the session ends on February 27.
Hammond Mayor: “This Is the Most Advanced Project I’ve Ever Seen”
Hammond Mayor Tom McDermott Jr., who has been mayor for 23 years, dropped a bombshell Thursday.
He confirmed that both the state of Indiana and the Chicago Bears have already spent millions of dollars on environmental studies, engineering reports, legal work, and site evaluations in his city.
“I’ve never seen any project this advanced in this much detail,” McDermott said. “We’re talking about a multi-billion-dollar investment. It’s transformational for Hammond.”
McDermott will personally give Speaker Huston a tour of the leading site in the coming days.
Governor Braun Wants Deal Done This Session
Governor Mike Braun is keeping negotiations close to the vest but made his timeline crystal clear.
He wants the major financial terms locked in before lawmakers go home in late February.
“We’re getting to the point where enough due diligence has been done,” Braun told the Indiana Capital Chronicle. “Now it’s about who pays for what. It’ll probably look similar to the Colts deal, maybe vary a little.”
For reference: the Colts received roughly $620 million in public money for Lucas Oil Stadium in 2008, while contributing about $100 million themselves. That venue is now considered one of the best taxpayer-supported sports deals in America.
Why the Bears Are Seriously Listening
The Bears purchased 326 acres in Arlington Heights in 2023 for $197 million and spent years developing plans there. But Illinois leaders refused to offer meaningful tax incentives or infrastructure help.
Then in 2024 the team pivoted to a spectacular $4.7 billion domed stadium proposal along Chicago’s lakefront. Lawmakers and Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson balked at the public price tag, which could exceed $2 billion for infrastructure alone.
Sources close to the team say the Bears are furious at the lack of progress in Illinois and are genuinely exploring every realistic option.
Northwest Indiana is only 30-40 minutes from downtown Chicago. The Bears could keep their name, keep most of their fans, and still play in a brand-new stadium built largely with Indiana taxpayer support.
The Economic Prize Is Enormous
A new NFL stadium in northwest Indiana would:
- Create thousands of construction jobs for years
- Generate hundreds of millions annually in economic impact
- Spark hotel, restaurant, and entertainment development
- Put Hammond or Gary on the national map every Sunday in the fall
Senate President Pro Tem Rod Bray summed it up bluntly: “We’ve got a really, really, really good product here in northwest Indiana that would be more advantageous than Illinois.”
One year after Huston jokingly (or not) proposed annexing southern Illinois counties, the speaker is dead serious about bringing the Bears to Indiana.
For the first time in decades, people are openly asking the once-unthinkable question: Could the Chicago Bears actually become the Northwest Indiana Bears?
The next three weeks at the Indiana Statehouse will tell us just how real this stunning possibility has become.
Tell us in the comments: Would you love to see the Bears in Indiana, or is this crossing a line that should never be crossed? Sound off below.
