Soldier Field: One of the most iconic NFL stadiums. Home to the Chicago Bears since 1971, the stadium is still a bucket list place for many. But, the Bears might have a new stadium to call home. The Franchise became interested in the Arlington Park property which would move them from Chicago to the Northwest suburb of Arlington Heights. 

This proposed move interests me for a few reasons. Not only am I a Bears fan, but I am from Arlington Heights. I grew up in this suburb only about ten minutes from the Arlington Racetrack, which is what used to be on those grounds. Having the Bears move here would be a big change as I grew up going to Solider Field and taking day trips to the city. We don’t have much in this town, it’s all residential and this move would take the city to another level.

In May of 2021, the Bears showed interest in the property and ended up submitting a big to purchase it only a month later in June. On February 15^th, the Bears closed on the property. 

What Does this move mean? 

Well first off, the Chicago Bears wouldn’t be in the city of Chicago. Yes, what many teams call home isn’t the same area as their name, like the New York Jets and the New York Giants stadium being in Rutherford, New Jersey. But one of the draws of coming to Bears games is to be in the city and the infamous stadium. It’s about 45 minutes to the city without traffic of course. But there is a train that can go from the suburbs to the city in about the same time. And while I will always have love for Arlington Heights, it just isn’t as exciting as the city itself.

But, there are benefits to this new stadium. While Soldier Field will forever be iconic, it is also the smallest NFL stadium with only about 61,5000 fans. The new stadium would be at a higher capacity compared to the largest stadiums which is about 80,000. Since it is historic, it is also outdated. There is no dome which makes it less appealing to play and be at during the winter.

Impact of the move

The impact of the move would affect not only both residents in the Chicago suburbs, but also the Bears organization as a whole. They must find a way to encourage people to go up to the suburbs. I know for many people, including myself, I loved taking the trip downtown. It causes a lot of traffic to the city as well as major interest for people wanting to go to games while they’re in town. They do have another option though: renovate Solider Field and add those upgrades like the dome and new grass. 

People also want to go to a new stadium. We’ve seen the success of newer stadiums like Allegiant Stadium home to the Las Vegas Raiders and SoFi Stadium home to the Los Angeles Rams and Los Angeles Chargers. When something is new, everyone wants to go to it. I think that people would make the trip up for sure.

The image of the team would most likely remain the same. People will have a lot hate relationship depending where their loyalties lie. In the end, the Bears will either stay in their home or find a new one. As for me and the rest of the people from Arlington Heights, I guess we’ll see what happens.