The Bears are weighing up a new $5 billion venue

 

 

 

FANS of the Chicago Bears are determined for the team to stay at Soldier Field.

Attendance figures for the 2025 season make grim reading for the Chicago front office.

 
This photo shows a view of the newly ren
A photo of the Chicago Bears’ Soldier Field

 
NFC Divisional Playoffs: Los Angeles Rams v Chicago Bears
The organization has been plotting a move away from Soldier Field

 

 

 

 

The Bears enjoyed a strong year, reaching the Divisional round of the playoffs after going 11-6.

But they eventually crashed out of Super Bowl contention in a brutal overtime defeat to the Los Angeles Rams.

Fox Sports revealed the home attendance rankings for all 32 NFL teams during the regular season on Thursday.

It included a cumulative aggregate total of all spectators to attend games in 2025.

 

 

 

The Bears finished last in the list, averaging 58,127 fans each game at Soldier Field this season.

They racked up a total of 465,014 fans in attendance across eight home games in 2025.

That was some way short of even the 31st-ranked team, the Philadelphia Eagles, with 489,153.

When looking at the percentage of capacity filled, the Bears still rank 27th, per Bear Goggles On.

They filled 94.5 percent of their seats at home games this past season.

 

 

 

Soldier Field has a capacity of 61,500, making it among the smallest in the NFL.

Fans are eager for the team to either increase the capacity at the iconic stadium, or move on.

“Reason #1 the Bears need a new stadium. Soldier Field has been the smallest seating in the NFL for a long time,” wrote one fan on X.

 

 

 

“Build a big stadium or go home, most college football teams have a bigger stadium,” argued another.

“Ya [to the move] but not out of Chicago and it shouldn’t be in a dome,” said a third.

“Keep the franchise in Chicago at all costs,” said a fourth.

The Bears have been scouring the city and state for a potential new stadium site in recent years.

 

 

 

They have even weighed up the possibility of building a stunning $5billion stadium across the state border in Indiana.

Land owned by the team in Arlington Heights is currently the frontrunner should they choose to move away from Soldier Field.

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The Bears have proposed a new $5bn stadium complex in Chicago’s Arlington Heights

“We need to expand our search and critically evaluate opportunities throughout the wider Chicagoland area, including Northwest Indiana,” Bears CEO Kevin Warren said in the fall.

“Our fans deserve a world-class stadium.

 

 

 

“Our players and coaches deserve a venue that matches the championship standard they strive for every day.

“With that in mind, our organization must keep every credible pathway open to deliver that future.”