Topic / Subject
Indiana passed SB 27 to create a stadium authority framework, boosting the Bears’ Hammond (Wolf Lake) stadium option.

TL;DR
This is real leverage, not just chatter. Indiana is building the legal/financing runway — and the Bears publicly called it a “meaningful step.”

Key Details

• ESPN reports Indiana unanimously passed SB 27, creating a framework tied to a potential Bears stadium project.
• ESPN reports the Bears called it a “meaningful step” and referenced due diligence near the Wolf Lake area in Hammond.
• Indiana Business Journal reports the amended bill outlines financing mechanisms through a stadium authority, including long-term bonds.
• Yahoo Sports reports Hammond is the focal site for the proposal.
• This is not a final relocation decision and no binding stadium deal has been announced.

Breakdown
Relocation threats get loud every offseason — but this is the part that actually matters: legislation and financing structure.

SB 27, as described in coverage, is about building a mechanism (stadium authority + financing tools) that makes a big project possible. It doesn’t mean the Bears are moving tomorrow. It does mean Indiana is trying to show it can move fast if the Bears want an option outside Illinois.

The Bears calling it a “meaningful step” is the headline seasoning. Teams don’t compliment a bill like that unless they want the message heard on the other side of the border.

What to Watch Next

• Whether Illinois responds with its own clearer financing plan or concessions
• Next steps for the Hammond site: studies, timelines, formal proposals
• Any public milestones that turn “framework” into “deal talks”

Sources

• ESPN — “Indiana unanimously passes bill to lure Bears away from Chicago”
• Indiana Business Journal — “House committee OKs amendment outlining economic framework, naming site for potential Chicago Bears stadium”
• Yahoo Sports — “Next stop Hammond? Indiana lawmakers approve…” (headline not provided)

Comment
Do you think the Bears are genuinely considering Hammond, or is this mostly pressure on Illinois?