Rahimi, Harris & Grote Show - Pat Quinn: Bears are trying to use Indiana to get best deal in Illinois

Episode Date: February 19, 2026

Leila Rahimi and Marshall Harris were joined by former Illinois Gov. Pat Quinn to share insight on the Bears’ latest tactics in their pursuit of a new stadium.

Rahimi Harrison Grody, Midday's Tyndal 2 on Chicago Sports Radio 1043 The Score. This is Rahimi Harrison Grody on 1043 The Score. The latest news we have this morning is that there was supposed to be a meeting to set forth a project bill that would include roughly $8 to $900 million to help the bears with infrastructure for their Arlington Heights project. The governor, J.B. Prisker's chief of staff reporting on Twitter that Illinois was ready to move. the bill forward. But the bears requested the ILGA, pause the hearing to make further tweaks to the bill. And they said that this

morning they were surprised to see a statement, lauding Indiana and ignoring Illinois. That is for Matt Hill, who is on J.B. Prisker's Communications staff. We now go to our hotline because to get more information on this, we needed to call in some ringers. So former

Governor Pat Quinn is kind enough to join us here on Rahimi Harrison Grody. The Illinois governor from 2009 to 2015. Thank you so much for coming on. Okay, how are you guys doing, Layla and Marshall? A lot of news this morning. I'm a Bears fan from birth, and I'd like to keep them in Illinois. I think the song says, the pride and joy of Illinois, not of Hammond, Indiana.

Well, and I, you know, I understand it from an emotional standpoint, but when you hear this news, too, as the former governor, you know, procedurally, what are the questions you have and how can you help us kind of sift through what all of this indicates? Well, I think what Kevin Warren is doing is trying to pit Illinois and Indiana against each other. He's got a proposal for Indiana, and then another one where the Bears' own land in Arlington Heights, they bought it for $300-some-odd million. So he's trying to get the best deal he can from each legislature and each governor. And I think yesterday the Bears met with Governor Pritzker for, it said, three hours.

So there's something cooking. I think in Illinois, it's a much better deal for the Bears fans and for the people. Our state is willing to provide infrastructure to get to a new stadium. The Bears got to realize, though, that they just can't take advantage of taxpayers. Back in about 25 years ago when they remodeled Soldier Field and built the new stadium there, there's still $500 million left to be paid by taxpayers on that remodeling. That's people in Illinois and also Chicago, they have to pay for something that happened a quarter century ago. I don't think it's fair for the bears to just sort of take money for themselves and run away.

governors that's one of the big things we've been talking about economic times are pretty hard right now for a lot of people in the state in the city in this community chicagoland area i'm curious as to your thoughts about because you said this is old school leverage play in my opinion but it feels to me like what seemed like leverage off the top the idea of building in indiana now is more of a concrete viable reality how much do you think this is play plan be something that the Bears could actually do versus something they're just threatening to do? I think it's more of a threat. I really feel that the proposal for Arlington Heights, where they have not only the stadium,

but commercial development and retail and housing around it, that's a very good proposal for economic development, far more than Hammond, Indiana. And so I think that ultimately the Bears want to go to Arlington Heights, but they want to use everything they can to get a huge deal for themselves. You know, they were asking for a 40-year property tax break, a freeze on property taxes in Arlington Heights. That's pretty hard to stomach. This is a, you know, a franchise that's worth $8.9 billion right now. and with the new stadium in Arlington Heights, they could make even their stadium value

or their franchise value to be much higher. So I really feel it's all about money right now for the Bears. But what about the fans? What about the men and women who have got there this year in the cold to root the team on? Let's think about what's good for fans. And I think the Bears got to remember that. You know, the proposal in Indiana, by the way,

They don't want to use union workers to build a proposed stadium in Hammond, Indiana. They even passed a law to keep, you know, project labor agreements from happening in a stadium there. Well, that's not what the bears are about, the fans at least. We believe in hard work and getting paid a decent wage for your hard work. So I think these are issues that still are percolating. And ultimately, I think Illinois is going to win. but we got to go eyeball to eyeball with Kevin Warren and the Bears hierarchy right now. Yeah, that's it, Governor Quinn, is there's a line between diplomacy and negotiation

and then the process and procedure. And I feel like we're somewhere in the middle of all of it. Like we're in the worst of the Venn diagrams. You know, how would you explain to people who may not understand when something like this becomes tenuous and then perhaps when you, the risk of wasting people's time or the risk of what this process could result in, not just for Illinois residents, but for perhaps Indiana and also for Bears fans? Well, I think basically when you deal with politicians of both states, of both parties, there's going to be lots and lots of opposing and talking and posturing,

and it'll go on for a while. This is what it is. It's sort of a dance. And I think, our state is much better equipped to handle a new stadium for the Bears with a fair deal. It's fair to taxpayers and just doesn't give away the store. And I think that that ultimately will prevail. But there's going to be a lot of talking going on and negotiating. And I think that is, it's important for our elected officials to stand up for taxpayers to make sure that we get fair shake. But we're willing to do a lot of good things. If you're going to spend nearly a billion dollars building highways and infrastructure to help the stadium in Arlington Heights and

also the development around that, that's a major investment. And I think I saw with the Indiana deal, they want to raise tolls on how to get there. So I'm not sure Vass fans are too happy about that. The ticket price alone, they're increasing ticket prices this year again, 13%. And I think over the last three years, Bears ticket prices have gone up about 30 to over 30%. So, you know, got to think of the fans and think of the taxpayers. I think Papa Bear would agree with that. And I don't think Papa Bear wants, it's one thing to move from Decatur to Chicago for the Bears, but not to move out of Illinois.

We're the pride and joy of Illinois. George Hallis played football. I believe for the University of Illinois, the colors are orange and blue, and let's not forget the people of our state of loyally supported the Bears for decades. Governor Quinn, joining us here on Rahimi Harris and Grody, the former governor, trying to help us parse through what has happened today with Indiana passing resolution, and now the Bears making a statement they intend to go to Hammond, Indiana. It's just framework.

and as you've said, Governor Quinn, you think Illinois is still the best place for a stadium, but we are getting late. I just said it feels like the fourth quarter, and I don't know if Caleb Williams is walking out of that tunnel at the two-minute drill, but the legislative session ending February 27th for Indiana, does it feel like something has to be done in the next week one way or another? Well, I think basically that February 27th deadline in Indiana, Marshall is why they're trying to push this right now. They want to get Illinois legislators and our governor to make a counter deal to Indiana

and saying that Indiana's legislature is going out of session after the 27th of February. I think they had a negotiating session yesterday. As I understand it, the Bears asked for a postponement today of the hearing down in Springfield. And, you know, Camp Buckner is a state representative who, represents Soldier Field right now. He's a good negotiator for everyday people and taxpayers, and I'm sure that he will get his voice heard to make sure that what happens, bears.

You asked us 25 years ago to remodel Soldier Field. We did, and now the taxpayers still owe $500 million on that remodeling, and you just want to walk away from that. I really feel that's disrespectful to the taxpayers who have supported loyally the bears for many, many years. So I think part of the negotiation has to deal with how do you deal with the debt on soldier field? How do you make sure that the deal in Arlington Heights is fair to taxpayers?

And the bears have to make investments that don't just take advantage of everyday people. And they're trying to use Indiana to get the best deal in Illinois for themselves. Yeah, Governor Quinn, I agree. and thank you for letting us in on a lot of the, it's not fun talk, you know, I know it's the stuff you had to deal with every day when you were leading the state, but the procedural understanding and what a lot of this means, it really does help people who, you know, we're normally talking about like Max Crosby or something like that at this time of the year.

So we appreciate it. I think you bring up a good point. There's the emotional part of this and the loyalty among the taxpayers who agreed in Cook County, to that large bill that's still on the books and still currently the responsibility the Cookst County taxpayer. And then there's also the latent result of what happens if the bears leave.

You know, I think the money seems to be what is talking here. You know, in your experience, when you've seen other teams do this, Kansas City Chiefs come to mind, they just decided to move to Kansas. You know, what has been your impression just as a state official of how teams are getting this done

just by pitting municipalities? against each other. Yeah, it's really disappointing. You know, back 25 years ago when this all came up about Soldier Field, the Bears got a deal from the city of Chicago where they'd be able to sell the name of Soldier Field. They were going to sell the name to a bank, Bank One, for $300 million. That money would not go to the city or to taxpayers.

It would go to the Bears. And I led an effort with a lot of veterans to oppose that. We wanted to protect the good name of Soldier Field and tell the bears not to be money-grubbing. And I think that principle they should listen to again. There are certain things that are fundamental, and that is when you have loyal fans, and I'm one of them, from birth, that believe in the team, believe in hard work and being fair, then you shouldn't take advantage of people to get more and more money for yourself. That just isn't what Papa Bear believed in.

He started the team. He started the NFL, and you don't want the NFL today in the 21st century to just become a money-grubbing group of franchise owners who are billionaires who don't care about their real fans. And I think, you know, the stadium proposal in Arlington Heights, that's worthy of a lot of study, negotiation, get a good deal that's good enough for the bears and definitely fair to the taxpayers. That's where they should be focusing their attention rather than running away to Indiana

and Hammond, a lot harder place to get to through the toll road that I don't think people are going to be very happy about. Governor, you've been so nice with your time. We have a couple more questions on behalf of not just us, but also just the feedback we're getting right now from our listeners. Are you okay to hang with us through a brief commercial break? Yeah, sure. Thank you so much.

I'm the scorehead. I believe in the score. Yeah, I know. I've got to ask you about the Illini and the White Sox, too. So I think that's equal time. I'm watching the Eli-Ni. How about it? Yeah.

They look great. All right, Governor Quinn. Thank you so much for hanging with us through our commercial break here. We will get right back to the former Illinois governor, Pat Quinn, kind of giving us a little bit more insight on how this goes, who pays, who loses, who benefits, and what's next in the Bears Constant Stadium Saga on the score.