07-02-2025
Illinois BEARS Act would require teams have winning record to receive public stadium funding
SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (WTVO) — A new Illinois bill would require sports teams to have a record of winning games before the state would consider spending taxpayer money on a stadium.
, the Balanced Earnings And Record Standards (BEARS) Stadium Oversight and Expectations Act, also known as Da Bears Stadium Oversight Act, would require professional sports teams to achieve a 0.500 record in at least 3 out of the last five seasons before they would qualify for any public funding.
The Bears unveiled plans to build a new stadium on the city's lakefront in April, as part of a years-long process by the NFL franchise to replace Soldier Field with a state-of-the-art venue that would allow Chicago to host major sporting events like the Super Bowl and the NCAA Final Four.
The team is also asking for more than $2 billion in taxpayer funding for the $4.6 billion project.
The bill was filed in the General Assembly on Thursday, February 6th, by Rep. Bob Morgan (D-58th Dist.).
In September, Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker to the idea of using public funding on a new Bears stadium saying, 'We want Illinois businesses to do well. This is a privately owned business. If I can find some way to assist, great! But right now, there is no building any new stadiums.'
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