In his keynote speech at the 120th annual meeting of the Chicagoland Chamber of Commerce, Bears CEO Kevin Warren pleaded with the city’s business community to support a new stadium initiative. He argued that a new stadium was crucial to Chicago’s future and expressed confidence that an agreement would eventually be reached with the city.
However, Warren faced opposition from politicians who were resistant to public funding for sports venues. Despite this, he remained optimistic about securing financing for the project. Many cities and states have become reluctant to fund NFL stadiums due to rising sports franchise values.
Unlike other teams with viable backup plans, such as the Jacksonville Jaguars moving to London, the Bears are unlikely to relocate outside of Chicago. The suburbs have been explored and exhausted as options for building a new stadium. If the Bears cannot secure public funding, they may need to consider building independently or forego the project altogether.