Iowans share thoughts on Bears moving to the Hawkeye state

DES MOINES, Iowa — The historic Bears franchise is looking for a new home, and Iowa recently added its name to the list of suitors.

On Thursday, February 12, a subcommittee approved Senate File 2252. The bill would incentivize the construction of an NFL stadium through the Major Economic Growth Attraction program.

The Bears are currently playing at Soldier Field in Chicago with a contract to stay there until 2033, but the franchise is aiming to leave the stadium by 2029 or earlier.

Places like Arlington Heights, Illinois, and Portage, Indiana, have made offers for their next location, but with this bill, Iowa now has to be considered.

Christi Young, a lifelong Vikings fan, says she would switch teams immediately if the Bears made the move, “I have always wanted a professional football team here. I would love it. I’d buy season tickets and go. I’d have to be a Bears fan, but I have no problem with that. I’m a Vikings fan right now, but I would love it.”

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Ryan Latvaitis doesn’t want to see the franchise use public money to build its next stadium. “The Bears are a private organization. They’re free to go wherever they want. This whole dynamic of requesting a lot of public money to subsidize a private business is really icky to me.”

Diehard Bears fan Sameer Naseeruddin can’t imagine seeing the franchise anywhere but Chicago, “Iowa Bears doesn’t have the same ring to it as the Chicago Bears, right? I mean, it’s about the legacy of Chicago. I mean, you know, don’t take it the wrong way, but take a look at the population of Chicago versus Iowa.”

While fellow diehard Bears fan Peter Draus fully supports the move, “I’m a lifelong Bears fan. I’ve been to Soldier Field, you know, quite a few times. Obviously, it’s time for a new spot. It was crazy to see how many Bears fans are really here when we started to have this success. So, I mean, if we keep going, I mean, I think there’s a strong contingent of Bears fans here.”

Do you want to see the Bears move to Iowa or out of Illinois? Let us know by commenting your thoughts on our Facebook page.

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