Tonight marks the 106th season of Chicago Bears football. Our team has played almost 1,500 regular season games since our first game as the Decatur Staleys in 1920, 180 miles to the south in Decatur, Illinois. Since our inception, we have played under different names, with different uniforms, in different cities, at different venues. That said, one critical component has remained constant – the Chicago Bears belong to more than just Chicago. We belong to the entire state of Illinois. The Nation. The World.
We are at a pivotal juncture of the Chicago Bears franchise to build a new stadium, our future home in Arlington Heights, which will require zero state money for construction. This is the year to finalize our stadium plans so we can officially bid to host a Super Bowl as soon as 2031. This is the moment to begin moving toward that future, and we want you with us.
The 2025 season marks an exciting time to be a Bears fan. We open the season tonight, on Monday Night Football, with a new Head Coach, a young, talented roster and a best-in-class staff. We are focused on competing for championships, and on building a transformative home for the future.
Since I was hired as President & CEO of the Chicago Bears in April of 2023, we have invested significant time, energy, and resources to strengthen our football operations, business operations, and stadium planning. Our formal head coaching search began in January of 2025, and we were fortunate to hire Ben Johnson, who has already provided leadership, accountability, and vision. General Manager Ryan Poles and Coach Johnson have built a stronger roster through free agency, trades, and an excellent draft class. Just as we have strengthened our team on the field, we have also remained focused off the field on delivering a world-class home for the future.
In evaluating options for a new stadium, the focus of the McCaskey family has been clear: build a world-class stadium that requires zero money from the State of Illinois for its construction. We are partnering with political, labor, business, and community leaders across Illinois to develop a plan for property tax certainty and a fair contribution toward essential infrastructure that will benefit the entire community. Arlington Heights is the only site within Cook County that meets that standard. It allows us to better serve our fan base and deliver a truly transformative and elevated gameday experience.
Our new stadium, with a fixed-roof and the corresponding mixed-use development, will be worthy of the most passionate fan base in the NFL and capable of hosting marquee events year-round – from the Super Bowl to the Final Four to global soccer games to concerts to community events to youth sporting events. After purchasing 326 acres in Arlington Heights in 2023, we thoroughly evaluated other sites within Chicago’s city limits, but none were viable.
Moving outside of the city of Chicago is not a decision we reached easily. This project does not represent us leaving, it represents us expanding. The Bears draw fans from all over Illinois, and over 50 percent of our season-ticket holders live within 25 miles of the Arlington Heights site. The project provides us the opportunity to build a stadium and mixed-use development that will benefit our fans, our region, and our future together. Most importantly, the new stadium will elevate the fan experience with easy access, whether by Metra train directly to the site or a short drive with ample parking and tailgating, creating a vital connection between Chicago and the broader Cook County community, ensuring every fan feels at home.
Our new stadium and mixed-use district will generate lasting benefits for residents, workers, families, and fans in Arlington Heights, Cook County, and the State of Illinois. This development will create more than 56,000 construction jobs, and 9,000 permanent jobs. We are forecasting $10 billion in economic impact attributed to statewide construction, and $256 million in annual statewide new business and tourism impact. Chicago only has 10 cranes in the sky, which pales in comparison to other major cities. It is a once-in-a-generation opportunity for Chicago, its surrounding communities, and the state of Illinois to become the pinnacle of sports and entertainment destinations.
This is the type of venue and destination that you all have deserved for years, and we are working every day to make progress. This stadium will allow us to have the best home field advantage in the National Football League. While we do not yet have all the answers, we are optimistic about working with the Village of Arlington Heights to obtain necessary approvals and begin building our new home.
Right now, though, it is time to Bear Down. Have fun tonight, as we celebrate the 40th anniversary of the 1985 Chicago Bears Super Bowl championship team. We need to make sure we create an incredible home field advantage.
For more than 50 years, Soldier Field has been our home. But so too were Wrigley Field, Memorial Stadium, and Staley Field. We hope Arlington Heights will soon join that list – not because of its steel, brick, or glass, but because it will house what is irreplaceable to this franchise: You. Our Fans. Our Family.
Kevin Warren
President & CEO
Chicago Bears Football Club
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