Chicago Bears executives say NW Indiana 'sole focus' for new stadium, talks with Illinois continue

LAKE FOREST, Ill. (WLS) -- The Chicago Bears will not change their name if they build a stadium across state lines in Indiana.

During his annual address at training camp on Thursday, chairman George H. McCaskey said the team will not be renamed the "Hammond" Bears if they break ground on a fixed-roof stadium some 30 minutes southeast of Soldier Field.

The Bears won't change their name if they move to Indiana, McCaskey says.

"No. We will be the Chicago Bears whether we're in Arlington (Heights, Ill.) or whether we're in Hammond," McCaskey said. "...Our focus is on Hammond, that's where we're advancing our efforts and that's where the bulk of our time, attention and resources are being devoted."

McCaskey said he remains confident fans would support the team even if a new stadium is built in Indiana, despite polling that suggests many fans would be less likely to attend home games across the state line.

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Both McCaskey and Bears president and CEO Kevin Warren affirmed the team's commitment to building a stadium in Hammond. Since the Bears' board of directors voted to advance their stadium development in Indiana in June, McCaskey classified communication with Illinois legislators as "minimal."

The Bears have maintained that they need property tax certainty in order to build a stadium. Illinois lawmakers did not pass legislation during the spring legislative session that would allow the Bears to pay a lump sum in lieu of property taxes. Meanwhile, Indiana has already guaranteed the Bears a tax assurance as well as offering up to $1 billion in incentives to relocate to the site in Hammond.

"We don't have an offer from the state of Illinois," Warren said. "And our focus now is on Indiana. And obviously, like I said, there have been occasional meetings that have taken place. But right now our focus is on Hammond, Indiana, to make sure that we bring that to life."

Warren believes the Bears have reached the point where they soon need to decide on where to build, although he did not give a timeline for when that could happen.

"My wife told me about six months ago don't give any more target dates so just get the work done," Warren said. "Greta, I love you and I'm listening to you and so I think the target is the right time. We'll know when it is. But I will say we're making very, very good progress here."

Warren said the Bears have completed their "due diligence" at the Lost Marsh site in Hammond, which determined that the land is viable to built on. During the vetting of this site, the team discovered another nearby site at the Wolf Lake Terminal. Environmental studies are still being conducted, but Warren presented the possibility of merging the two sites together to build a stadium on.

"It's reached that point now where we are starting to get some clarity in the moment that we finish our due diligence and have the appropriate capital stack and financing together, we are looking forward to making a decision so we can break ground and get our project going forward," Warren said.

Since the team's inception, the Bears have never played their home games outside of Illinois. McCaskey said he has heard and understands Bears' fans concerns about moving the 107-year-old charter franchise out of state.

"We feel that anxiety," McCaskey said. "We feel that stress. We talked about this in March. It's going to require an adjustment. But when I've driven that route, other than a sign telling me so, I wouldn't know that I've just crossed the state border. And as Kevin said, once people see the building, once they get in there, once they understand that our top priority from day one was a world-class stadium experience, we think we'll make that adjustment. We think Bears fans are up for that."

The comments come after a poll conducted by The Athletic last month found that more than 45% of fans would be less likely to attend a home game in Indiana. Half of respondents said a move would not make a difference, while nearly 4% said they would be more likely to attend.

The Bears' current lease at Soldier Field -- the stadium where they play but which is owned by the city of Chicago -- runs through 2033.

McCaskey spoke exclusively with ABC7 Chicago after the press conference.

The chairman says Chicagoland is missing out on hosting major events right now at Soldier Field, without a covered roof, among other things.

"Soldier Field is difficult to get to. Mayor Johnson said so himself when he left the playoff game early last season. It's difficult to get out of. The footprint is too small," McCaskey said. "We have to deal with the here and now. We have to deal with reality. We have to deal what is actually going on rather than what might happen."

Indiana officials also expressed optimism about discussions with the team.

"We communicate with them every week, once or twice," Indiana Gov. Mike Braun said. Describing the status of talks, Braun added they are "in the red zone."

The Bears' discussions with Illinois officials appear to be less active. When asked about those conversations, McCaskey described them as "minimal."

Meanwhile, the Illinois House and Senate have passed separate stadium bills, though the measures still must be reconciled.

At the Illinois State Fair Thursday Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker said the Bears will need to identify which provisions they support and build legislative backing.

"But it is on them just as it is for one any organization, a business or otherwise that wants help from the state of Illinois to come to us and tell us exactly what it is... Now that they know what parameters are acceptable to the legislature," Pritzker said. "The Bears themselves have to figure out which ones of the parts of those bills they want in a final bill and of course to gather support from the legislature."

Advocates in Arlington Heights continue to push for the team to return to its earlier plan.

"I think the best option for everybody, the best possible use for that land, and the best place for the Bears is here in Arlington Heights, and I hope we see it get done," said Ernie Rose of Touchdown Arlington.

The mayors of Chicago and Hammond did not respond to requests for comment.

The stadium discussions continue as the Bears weigh potential development options in both Illinois and Indiana.

Meanwhile, the Bears host the Cleveland Browns on Saturday in their preseason opener at home. Quarterback Caleb Williams and "a number" of starters will not play, according to Ben Johnson.

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"I don't know that I need to see game snaps (from Williams)," Johnson said. "What we're trying to assess is the volume throughout the week and making sure we're hitting our bench marks to make sure our team is ready to go for a 17-plus game season. That's what we're looking to do.

"Do I need to see Caleb Williams in the preseason? No, I don't. I see him every single day in practice and I know what we're going to get come the season and yet at the same time there is a workload and there is a number of reps that we want to hit as a team. And so make sure we even that out whether that's game reps or not."

Tyson Bagent will start at quarterback and play the first half while left tackle Kiran Amegadjie will start at left tackle and rotate with Jedrick Wills Jr.

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ESPN's Courtney Cronin contributed to this report.