Rahimi, Harris & Grote Show - What would it cost to deter Bears' interest in Indiana as a stadium site?

Episode Date: January 26, 2026

Leila Rahimi and Marshall Harris discussed the Bears' pursuit of a new stadium. Will they build in Arlington Heights or Indiana?

Harris and Grody, midday's 10 a.m. to 2 on Chicago Sports Radio 670 the score. This is Bohemia Harrison Grody on 670 to score. And sometimes news just lands in your lap. Thanks to our score listener, Kerry Wallovic for this. He tipped me up to this, and it's on CapitalFacts.com. It's the latest in the Bears Stadium search. And we actually wanted to begin this segment originally talking about the fact that everybody seems to be in the dome business now, and they want to build a stadium. It makes sense. You get more use out of it.

You can use it year round. The cost, in these cases, is worth the benefit. It stinks because, like, bare weather doesn't become as much of the thing. So that's unfortunate. So as people try to figure out entities, try to figure out whether or not it's worth it to build a dome on their stadium,

and you saw even Kurt Warner be upset by how much the weather factored into that game. Of course, the quarterback wants to see more offense. You also get the flip side of it knowing that you can use it for concerts. You can use it for other events at bad times of year like now. Then the news came across, thanks to Kerry. This is from Capital Fax, FACS. Capital Fax is a pretty respected news site when it comes to what's going on in Springfield.

There were a couple of nuggets in here, mostly the reiteration of the fact that the bears were have reportedly wanted about, give or take a few dollars, 895 million for infrastructure, just infrastructure when it comes to Arlington Heights. That in and of itself is not exactly noteworthy. That seemed to be the price. That was what a lot of people understood. That's not as much of a surprise. But as we look down, there's more details in this Marshall. When you look at the deadlines, right? Because shovels in the ground 2025 not happening. Now we're focused on shovels in the ground 2026. Did you have a shovel in the ground at any time? Do you have snow or whatever?

I don't shovel because I park inside and I just have like the brush and the scraper and all those. I don't have a snow shovel. Brush on the ground? Maybe a brush on the ground. Congratulations. Brush on the ground. So here's the key part of this article here.

The legislative calendars in each state, Indiana, Illinois, give Indiana an advantage. Indiana State law requires adjournment by March 14th, but Hoosier legislative leaders have said they want to adjourn by February 27. Oh, some of y'all got spring break trips, eh? Yeah, Indiana's House Speaker said last week that he won't run a bill unless the Bears commit to moving to his state.

If he sticks to his guns, he could force the team to pick a state well ahead of the February 27th deadline. And that's one month and one day from now. I've got to cheer, everybody. pick a state. Pick a state. Pick a state.

Hawaii. Now, conversely, the Illinois legislature usually doesn't do much until after the March primary. Alaska. So getting something done or on the table this month

would be way out of character, although it would also be a tell. I think that's what this is. I think somebody was like, enough of this. I got a spring break trip. spring break at a lot of states is the third week of March. That is a thing.

And I don't blame anybody for being like, I ain't ruining my spring break for this. Figure it out. Either you want to be with us or you don't. Here's a deadline. Pick a staple. And so is this what it's come to? How about Massachusetts?

It can be nice in the summer. No. Not Massachusetts. Pick a state. I don't have another state. Iowa? Did you say Iowa? I went to Iowa this year.

Yeah, I've been to Iowa. Last year, not this year. Yeah. I've been to Iowa many times. Iowa City's a good time. The air lighter had good pizza. Listen, seriously though, like, I think we all have a bit of stadium fatigue.

Is that a fair way to put it? Kentucky. No, not Kentucky. There's bourbon there. There is bourbon. Is this like when Lisa and the Simpsons had to be Florida and Homer created the costume and it was terrible.

Oh, I remember that. What about Wisconsin? I'm not Florida. What about Wisconsin? What about Wisconsin? What about Wisconsin? Lela, Wisconsin. The Dells?

That Door County? I'm just saying, Wisconsin is right there. There's two parts of Michigan we can choose from. The upper peninsula and the main part of... The hand. The hand. Where are you from on the hand? Yes.

That's what this is. You're right. It's calling the bluff. So if that's that... the case. We're going to find out how quickly they may be using Indiana's name or Indiana's sincerity when it comes to getting the Bears an actual stadium. They did create, as you know, an entity to put together funding for this, to issue bonds. And we are in agreement. Indiana is dead serious about this. Yeah, you don't go through any sort of the legislative rigmarole unless there's

a reason. They enacted the right procedural process to say, we would like to get this done. We are going to write a law that says we will get the taxes through this body of entity, of the public entity. You just use one of my favorite words. I just want to point that out. What's that? Riggumeral. Yes. So if that's the case, they're serious. It's just a matter of how serious they are. And $895 million, as we've discussed, seems to be in the ballpark of what we thought the bears were asking for from the state of Illinois. By the time they get it done, it'll be a square billion. But here's the thing. It's the difference of what's left that seems to be the sticking point here.

What is the difference of what's left? Somewhere in the neighborhood of $5 billion, am I correct? That seems like a lot of money. That's just me saying it out loud. But the state of Illinois has said, we will give you the money for the infrastructure. I don't think that that was ever in question. Right. It's just the rest of it, the subsidizing.

No, nobody wants anything subsidized because you're a company worth, at last what check evaluation, 10 billion? 9.9.9. Yeah, so rounded up. Yeah, 9.8, 9.9. So it's hard for anyone with real needs in this economy specifically to feel that bad about the bears. And weighing that versus, are you okay with being the administration which lets the bears leave the state of Illinois?

It's a guaranteed eight or nine regular season dates a year. year. So I'm pretty sure that given the way the Bears played this past season, people would be willing to drive to Indiana to be at a Bears home game. And if not, that's A-OK. It's well within your rights. But I know people would go. I don't think they'd have any problems selling at the stadium like they wouldn't say Jacksonville. Wow. You just bring that because I brought up the tarps. Well, but it's a good point, though. And we were talking about all the stadiums that want to build domes, you know, or the cities that want to build dome stadiums, I should say.

A stadium can't build itself yet. Well, the whole point is the more use you can get out of said dome, the more money it can make and profit. And, you know, you see it right now. Kansas City's going to get a dome. Tennessee Titans are going to get a dome. And basically,

I think Jacksonville's going to get a dome. Everybody's getting a, if you're building a stadium now, it's to get a dome. Well, and it makes sense. Weather can't be a factor in how some of these events go. You've got too much money involved in them. You can't afford to have weather be a problem. It stinks because it takes away one huge aspect of strategy and part of football. It's kind of like taking the designated hitter out of the American League or adding it to the

National League or something along those lines. You're changing the game. You're changing the traditional part of it. The game evolves, and this reminds me of my college roommate who was from Detroit and he just used to be like, yeah, they won't come play Big Ten schools and Big Ten weather when both season comes. I was like, bro, nobody wants to go to those games, but I was wrong because here we have a college football playoff where they actually do play on campus really, really late into the season. Yeah, and it did affect things. It affects how you play. But college, I don't think they're going to be as ready to build domes. But in this case, in the NFL cities, it makes sense. 815, Buffalo will be a dome. Yeah. So they don't have to, they don't have.

to worry about it there and that's going to be big for them as well. Coming up next, Sharon Rahimi Harrison Grady on 670 to score. We are joined by Bear Senior writer for the athletic, Dan Weirer next. I have three words for you. Pope Dome.