After a slow start to the season, the Chicago Bears have saved their hopeful 2025 season, as they are currently 2-2, with a blowout loss to the Detroit Lions in game two. Like many other local Bears fans, I entered this season with high expectations and playoff aspirations. 

The Lions game went so poorly that while watching, I started to think about the Bears’ future and the recent confirmation that they would be moving their stadium from the lakeside Soldier Field to Arlington Heights, Illinois. 

In a social media post, Bears President and CEO Kevin Warren stated, “We are at a pivotal juncture of the Chicago Bears franchise to build a new stadium, our future home in Arlington Heights […] can officially bid to host a Super Bowl as soon as 2031.”

After reading this, I thought to myself: Does it even make sense to move to Arlington Heights? What implications will this have on Bears fans local to the North Shore area? Do the fans support this change in scenery?

There is no doubt a strong argument in favor of moving to Arlington Heights. For one, Soldier Field is the smallest NFL stadium and has had some major issues in recent years. Problems include a lack of adequate maintenance, poor turf conditions, and operational problems with gates and bathrooms. A move to Arlington Heights would allow Chicago to have a state-of-the-art billion-dollar stadium that major cities such as Los Angeles and Minneapolis already have. Additionally, it would enable Chicago to host events such as the Super Bowl and March Madness, which they are not able to do in Soldier Field.

Despite these arguments, many Bears fans would agree that although a new stadium might be necessary, moving to Arlington Heights is not ideal. As someone who has been to Soldier Field many times in my life, I’ll admit that it is not the best stadium in the world; however, the location is perfect. There is something special about being on the shore of Lake Michigan in downtown Chicago. Watching the game with a perfect view of the Chicago skyline is unbeatable and is an important aspect of the game day experience at Soldier Field. Moving into the Chicago suburbs would lose the ambience that the Bears have while playing downtown. 

Previously, many teams have faced similar problems. For example, the New York Giants play in New Jersey and the Los Angeles Rams play in Inglewood, California, causing them to receive significant backlash from the fanbases. Although they both have top-tier stadiums, some of the atmosphere is lost when they don’t play in their home cities. At the end of the day, the Bears are Chicago’s team. The city prides itself on being the home of the Bears, and moving out of the city would hurt that bond. 

There was an initial proposal for the Bears to tear down Soldier Field and rebuild their new stadium in the same location. At first, this made a lot of sense, and I joined in the excitement when the new stadium renderings were released. However, there is a portion of the Bears’ fan base that is against tearing down Soldier Field. They believe that it is too iconic, as it is the oldest NFL stadium in the country, opening in 1924. After further thinking, I would have to agree, as Soldier Field has always been an iconic landmark in Chicago, and feels like the true home of the Bears.

For students at New Trier High School, it’s not too difficult to travel to Soldier Field. You can ride the Chicago Transit Authority’s “L” train or Metra and walk over to Soldier Field without paying for any parking. However, there is no convenient public transportation to Arlington Heights. 

Additionally, a big complaint I’ve heard from New Trier Bears’ fans is that game tickets are too expensive. If they move to Arlington Heights and spend the money for a billion-dollar stadium, the tickets per game will inevitably become more expensive. This occurs because new stadiums put an emphasis on premium seating and luxury suites, which limits the more affordable seating options. Additionally, since the new stadium is expected to be a multi-billion dollar project, high ticket prices will be necessary to recoup the construction costs. This ticket-price jump was shown in 2020, when the Raiders moved into their multi-billion dollar Las Vegas stadium, which resulted in a ticket price increase of over 500%. By making this move to Arlington Heights, the Bears are making it more difficult for the next generation of fans to watch the team that they love. Even though it is a business at the end of the day, the fans are what make the Bears an iconic NFL franchise. 

There is no doubt that Soldier Field is not sustainable for the Bears into the future. However, there are many other options they could embrace rather than moving to the suburbs. The best option would be to just renovate Soldier Field into a more appealing stadium for fans. Even if this new stadium helps the Bears earn more revenue, that is the last thing Bears fans care about. At the end of the day, although a new stadium would be cool I know I speak for all Bears fans when I say that we want our stadium to be accessible for all fans.