While there’s still much uncertainty surrounding the future of the Chicago Bears’ new stadium, a prank on social media is going viral as it tried to fool fans into thinking the team was heading to Naperville.
While there's still much uncertainty surrounding the future of the Chicago Bears' new stadium, a prank on social media is going viral as it tried to fool fans into thinking the team was heading to Naperville.
Naperville was among the suburbs in contention for the team's potential move to the suburbs, with officials meeting with the city in 2023 to discuss the possibility, but the Bears have largely centered their efforts on staying in Chicago or moving to Arlington Heights.
That didn't stop some from nearly believing a post from realtor Brandon Blankenship, who is behind the @Livingchicagosuburbs Instagram account.
"Bears ditch Chicago - Naperville scores big! Downtown Naperville move in 2028," a photo posted to his account read Tuesday -- April 1.
In his caption, Blankenship wrote the team "officially announced the relocation of Soldier Field to downtown Naperville, marking a new chapter for one of the NFL's most storied franchises."
"After years of speculation and stalled negotiations in Arlington Heights, team officials confirmed they have reached an agreement with the City of Naperville to construct a state-of-the-art, open-air stadium along the DuPage River, just steps from the bustling shops and restaurants of downtown," the caption read. "The $4.2 billion project promises to blend the team’s iconic traditions with modern amenities, while anchoring the stadium within Naperville’s vibrant urban landscape."
It even included a "statement" from Bears President and CEO Kevin Warren calling the suburb "the perfect balance of accessibility, community and opportunity," with plans for the "inaugural season" to begin in 2028.
Aside from the fact that the post falls on April 1, there are some notable flaws in the "announcement." One being that a move and project of this magnitude would take just two years to complete. Not to mention the post claims the team, instead of building a new stadium, would be moving Soldier Field to the western suburb. And then there's the fact that the Bears are under a lease in Chicago that expires in 2033.
But while the post quickly garnered plenty of attention on social media, many were quick to note that the announcement landed on April Fools' Day.
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So where do the Bears' plans actually stand?
In their most recent answers, Bears leadership has said they remain focused on keeping the team in Chicago, despite obstacles from advocacy groups and more.
Warren has said repeatedly the focus is on building a stadium next door to Soldier Field as part of a transformation of Chicago's lakefront museum campus.
“The status is (that) downtown still remains the focus, (specifically) the Museum Campus,” Warren said at the time. “I feel like we’ve made a massive amount of momentum. I’ve been here 20 months, and we’ve made great progress.”
Warren also reiterated his goal of beginning construction on the new project during this calendar year.
“I remain steadfast that the goals remains that we be sure to get shovels in the ground in 2025,” he said.
But the plan, unveiled last spring, calls for $3.2 billion for the new stadium plus $1.5 billion in infrastructure, potentially including a publicly owned hotel. It got a full-throated endorsement from Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson but a tepid reception from Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker and state legislators.
At the same time, developers of a tract of land on the city's South Side launched a Hail Mary they hope keeps the Bears in the city, with renderings released last month showing an enclosed stadium and mixed-use development on the site of the old Michael Reese Hospital.
The city acquired the Michael Reese site to serve as an Olympic Village for the 2016 Summer Games, which wound up going to Rio de Janeiro. But the Bears have rejected the 48.6-acre site in the past, saying it was too narrow and that commuter train tracks presented engineering challenges.
The Bears also own a 326-acre tract of land in suburban Arlington Heights, where a stadium could also be built. They unveiled a nearly $5 billion plan that also called for restaurants, retail and more in September 2022, when they were finalizing the purchase of that site. But the land still sit empty two years after the purchase.
Late in 2024, Warren and the Bears reached an agreement with Arlington Heights officials over a property tax dispute. While Warren called the land a “fantastic piece of property,” he emphasized that the team is still committed to a Chicago stadium project at this time.
“We own 326 acres of beautiful land in Arlington Heights. It’s a fantastic piece of property,” he said. “We were able to get the memorandum of understanding done there, so optionality does exist.”
The Bears have played at Soldier Field since 1971.
