Sports teams seeking funding for new stadiums in Illinois would have to win to get paid under terms of a newly proposed bill.
The “BEARS Act,” introduced by State Rep. Bob Morgan, would require teams to win a majority of their games over a five-year period in order to be eligible to receive public funding for stadium projects, whether they are newly constructed homes or renovations of existing stadiums.
“Our primary goal with this bill is not to punish teams, but to ensure that Illinois taxpayers’ dollars are spent responsibly. No one wants to see taxpayer dollars wasted by billionaire team owners that are not investing in their teams’ competitiveness,” Morgan said in a statement. “As families across Illinois are tightening their belts due to the rising cost of living, we must be careful with how we spend limited public dollars, especially when it comes to billion-dollar franchises.”
BEARS is an acronym for “Balanced Earnings And Record Standards,” according to the press release.
Under provisions of the bill, teams would be required to achieve a record of .500 or better in three out of five seasons in order to qualify for any sort of public financing of any stadium construction or renovation project.
The introduced bill comes as multiple Chicago teams eye funding for new stadium projects. That group includes the Chicago White Sox, who have been trying to drum up funding for a ballpark to be built in a development known as “The 78.” Their lease at Rate Field, a ballpark built with public funding, expires later in the decade.
The Chicago Bears are also looking to replace Solider Field, and would seek public funding as part of that process. The team’s lease at Soldier Field expires in 2033, with the team’s preference to build a new stadium just south of the existing stadium.
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Both projects have encountered resistance from Illinois lawmakers, who have questioned the return on investment for public financing of the projects.
In a press release about the BEARS Act, Morgan cited numerous studies that have questioned the economic value of new stadium projects. He argues that while teams say their stadium projects inject life into local economies, the reality is that most jobs are low-wage and temporary, and that team owners capture most of the profits.
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Under the terms of the bill, the White Sox would actually qualify for public financing, as they finished with a .500 or better record each season between 2020 and 2022. They were below .500 in 2023 and then set an MLB record with 121 losses during the 2024 campaign.
The Bears would not qualify for financing, as they’ve finished below .500 for four consecutive seasons dating back to the 2021 campaign. They did finish with a .500 or better record in three straight seasons between 2018 and 2020.
