Latest news with #KevinWarren
Forbes
02-06-2025
- Business
- Forbes
Bears' Push For Stadium Funding On Hold Until November
Audience members listen as representatives from the Chicago Bears present their concept for building ... More a stadium and entertainment district on the site of Arlington International Racecourse during an informational public meeting at Hersey High School in Arlington Heights, Illinois, on Sept. 8, 2022. (Chris Sweda/Chicago Tribune/Tribune News Service via Getty Images) For the second session in a row, the Illinois legislature adjourned without bringing the Bears' request for stadium funding to the floor for consideration. After spending some of 2023 and most of '24 seeking help in constructing a state-of-the-art facility on the banks of Lake Michigan, adjacent to Soldier Field, the Bears shifted their focus to land they own in Arlington Heights, in Chicago's northwest suburbs. The 326-acre site had been home to the Arlington (Park) Racecourse, which for years hosted the Arlington Million race. It appears in many ways an ideal location for a retractable roof stadium capable of hosting Super Bowls and non-football events like the Final Four. But the team's first choice was to stay in the city, with mayor Brandon Johnson and other Chicago politicians trying to put together public financing to help the team on the project. Continuing opposition led to a recent pivot to Arlington Heights in the winter. Team president Kevin Warren confirmed that to reporters during the NFL meetings in May. The franchise, which recently was formally transferred from the late Virginia McCaskey to son George McCaskey and her other heirs, has said it will build the $2 billion stadium with its money and a grant from the NFL but is seeking about $2.4 billion in public funding for both new debt and upgrades to infrastructure (mainly roads and the nearby Metra train station, a vital link to bring fans from downtown). Warren has said he believes the issue can be addressed in time for construction to begin before the end of 2025. But the public shift in preference from a downtown stadium to one in the suburbs apparently happened too late for the measure to even be formally debated by the legislature. 'I don't know who works with the Bears on their timing, but I would say they've mastered the art of bad timing,' state Sen. Robert Peters told the Chicago Tribune in May. 'I wish they could master the art of having a good team instead of doing this.' The spring session ended on Sunday, after approving a $55.2 billion budget submitted by Gov. JB Pritzker. State legislators will return to Springfield, Ill., in the fall. 'We were super close and just ran out of time,' Rep. Mary Beth Canty, who represents Arlington Heights, told the Tribune. 'We're going to keep working all through the summer.' Pritzker has said his preference is for the team to remain downtown but has publicly remained opposed to state funding. The size of the state's budget has grown by about 38 percent since he took office without any new construction on sports facilities. Chicago White Sox owner Jerry Reinsdorf is also seeking funding to build a new stadium. His effort to move the team to a location in the South Loop appears stalled. One new element of the Bears' situation is how the Chicago faction in the legislature is openly working against the team's move to the suburbs. 'The Bears have made it clear — they no longer want to be in Chicago,' Rep. Kam Buckner told the Tribune. 'That's their decision. But if they want to leave and use state dollars or ask for special tax protections to do it, they'll have to come through Springfield. And in Springfield, that means facing the Chicago delegation directly.' While no motions specifically addressing stadium funding were filed in the spring session, others involving taxing districts on so-called mega-projects, were introduced but did not come to a vote. The Bears successfully negotiated tax rates with village officials in Arlington Heights but are seeking assurances those rates won't be heavily adjusted in future years. The Bears have played in Chicago since moving from Decatur, Ill., in the early 1920s. The team has never owned its stadium, playing mostly at Wrigley Field and Soldier Field. The lease on Soldier Field runs through 2033 but includes an agreement for the team to pay a penalty if it leaves earlier, with that fee decreasing annually until expiration. The Bears agreed to purchase the Arlington Park horse track site from the Churchill Downs group in 2022 and closed on the $197.2-million deal in February, 2023. But the focused shifted back to downtown after Warren was hired away from his position as Big Ten commissioner later in '23. He orchestrated the Minnesota Vikings' downtown stadium project while working as their chief administrative (and later operating) officer in 2005-19. The Bears' proposed downtown stadium came with an estimated cost of $3.2 billion when it was announced in April, 2024. The Bears offered to pay $2 billion, including an NFL grant, leaving public funding responsible for $1.2 million in construction costs in addition to infrastructure improvements. Soldier Field was remodeled through public financing in 2002. The Illinois Sports Facility Authority still owes almost $600 million in principal and interest for that project. The Illinois General Assembly's fall session typically occurs in November, with its primary charge being the consideration of the governor's vetoes of bills from the regular session. The Bears may seek to add a special session to consider stadium funding rather than waiting until the 2026 regular session convenes in January. Bears' lobbyists, including a former Pritzker aide, have been quietly meeting with Prizker's staff and an outside advisor in recent months. The state hired Steve Argeris, a New York- and Washington, D.C.-based lawyer, as part of its due diligence on the stadium effort, according to the Chicago Tribune. Argeris previously worked for the owners of the NFL's Carolina Panthers. His participation is a sign the state is gathering information and may be moving closer to formally considering funding measures.
Associated Press
16-05-2025
- Business
- Associated Press
Bears shift focus for new enclosed stadium back to the suburbs from the Chicago lakefront
CHICAGO (AP) — The Chicago Bears seem to have shifted their attention for a new enclosed stadium back to the suburbs from the city's lakefront, citing 'significant progress' with local leaders to build on a tract of land they own in Arlington Heights. 'Over the last few months, we have made significant progress with the leaders in Arlington Heights, and look forward to continuing to work with state and local leaders on making a transformative economic development project for the region a reality,' the team said in a statement on Friday. Bears President Kevin Warren said six weeks ago at the NFL meetings that the team was turning at least some of its focus from the Chicago lakefront to the suburbs. The latest statement seemed to take it a step farther. Though the Bears finalized the purchase of a 326-acre property in Arlington Heights in February 2023, their main focus the past year had been on building an enclosed stadium next to their longtime home at Soldier Field. Their plan to transform Chicago's Museum Campus got a full endorsement from Mayor Brandon Johnson but a tepid reception from Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker and state legislators when it was announced in April 2024. In September 2022, the Bears unveiled a nearly $5 billion plan for Arlington Heights that also called for restaurants, retail and more, when they were finalizing the purchase of that site 30 miles from Soldier Field. Their focus shifted toward the Chicago lakefront after Warren was hired as president two years ago to replace the retiring Ted Phillips. 'Arlington Heights, I keep going back to it, it's an absolutely fantastic piece of land,' Warren said at the league meetings. 'To be able to have 326 acres that close to a wonderful city is difficult to do. I don't know if it exists anywhere in the country.' There have also been talks with developers of a tract of land on the South Side about building a stadium and mixed-use development on the site of the old Michael Reese Hospital. But the team has rejected the 48.6-acre site in the past, saying it was too narrow and that commuter train tracks presented engineering challenges. Since moving to Chicago in 1921, the Bears have never owned their stadium, whether playing at Wrigley Field from 1921 to 1970 or Soldier Field since then. The team hopes to start construction this year. ___ AP NFL:
New York Times
16-05-2025
- Business
- New York Times
Chicago Bears' stadium focus now solely on Arlington Heights after ‘significant progress'
The Chicago Bears are shifting their focus to Arlington Heights for a new stadium project. While it's not a done deal, it does appear that after spending a year trying to get a project done in downtown Chicago, the Bears' future home will be in the suburbs. The Chicago Tribune first reported the news. Advertisement 'Over the last few months, we have made significant progress with the leaders in Arlington Heights, and look forward to continuing to work with state and local leaders on making a transformative economic development project for the region a reality,' the team said in a statement. Arlington Heights recently elected a new mayor, James Tinaglia, who supports a stadium in the village and met with Bears president/CEO Kevin Warren earlier this month. The team purchased the 326 acres on the Arlington Park site in 2022 but in April 2024 unveiled plans for a new stadium on the Museum Campus in Chicago, making that its sole focus. The public shift to Arlington Heights began last month at the league meetings in Florida, but at that time, Warren said downtown was still in play. 'Arlington Heights is unique,' Warren said on April 2. 'I don't think there's another piece of land like this in the world. Because the biggest thing for me as I represent the family's interests, I not only look at this generation, but I really say it and I seriously mean it — this is a decision that will impact this franchise for the next 100 years. And my biggest thing that my focus will continue to be on is the fan experience.' The Bears would not ask for any public funding for the stadium itself. State money would be requested for infrastructure support for the mixed-use entertainment district. In December, the Arlington Heights Village Board voted unanimously to set the Bears' taxes at $3.6 million per year at the Arlington Park site. There is a pending measure in Springfield that is not stadium-specific but would provide a vehicle to support 'megaprojects' in the state. Unlike Soldier Field, which is owned by the Chicago Park District, the Bears would own their new stadium in Arlington Heights and the land surrounding it. The Bears have played home games at Soldier Field since 1971. They faced several roadblocks after going public with their plans to build on the Museum Campus including, among other things, relying on financial support from the Illinois Sports Facilities Authority. Advertisement South of Soldier Field presented a potential third option on the Michael Reese Hospital site, but that never gained traction. Before Warren's hiring as president/CEO, the team's representatives spoke at Hersey High School in the fall of 2022, speaking to community members about their stadium plans. Three years later, the Bears are back with Arlington Heights as their main focus. Warren has said the goal is to get shovels in the ground in 2025. 'George Halas identified (Arlington Heights) more than 50 years ago as an ideal place for a Bears stadium, and I don't know if anything that's happened since then changed that evaluation,' Bears chairman George McCaskey said last month. 'As Kevin mentioned, it's pad ready, it's got the Metra stop, plenty of acreage, topography is good. It can be an outstanding, beautiful green space with enhancements to Salt Creek, but the downtown locations have their advantages, too. Kevin has said it since he's been here. Beautiful spot by the lake. It's idyllic and if there were sufficient improvements in infrastructure to make that location accessible 365 days of the year, it can be a fantastic opportunity as well.' The Bears would be able to host events at this new, domed stadium like the Final Four, College Football Playoff and Big Ten championship. They would be able to bid for a Super Bowl. There's still a long way to go, but the Bears are back to where they started, with Arlington Heights being the likely destination of the franchise's new stadium.
Forbes
16-05-2025
- Sport
- Forbes
Bears Keep Addressing Concerns Caleb Williams Held Before Draft
DETROIT, MICHIGAN - APRIL 25: (L-R) Caleb Williams poses with NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell after ... More being selected first overall by the Chicago Bears during the first round of the 2024 NFL Draft at Campus Martius Park and Hart Plaza on April 25, 2024 in Detroit, Michigan. (Photo by) It's easy to see why the Bears wouldn't have been a dream destination for Caleb Williams in the draft but the franchise is tailoring the future to please its quarterback. Excepts from the book 'American Kings: A Biography of the Quarterback' reveal that Williams and his father Carl Williams plotted how to avoid being selected by Chicago with the first pick in 2024. They considered blasting the team and the city in the media as well as using the United Football League as an alternative to the NFL. Carl Williams hated how his son had no leverage despite the tools that were celebrated by scouts. Seth Wickersham writes that he weighed a legal challenge to the rookie wage scale, which valued the first overall pick at $26,513,139 over four years. "The rookie cap is just unconstitutional," Carl Williams told Wickersham. He called the CBA the 'worst in sports history.' But it appears General Manager Ryan Poles and team president Kevin Warren were persuasive in a pre-draft visit to Halas Hall. They sold Williams on both the facilities and their commitment to expend the resources necessary for him to lead his teams into the playoffs. Caleb Williams decided to keep his concerns to himself, wrote Wickersham. His second season with the Bears looks a lot different than his first, when he rarely seemed in sync with D.J. Moore, Keenan Allen and Rome Odunze while passing for 3541 yards and 20 touchdowns. Williams was sacked 68 times, the most in the NFL since 2002. Poles and Warren made an unprecedented decision for the franchise, firing defense-oriented head coach Matt Eberflus in mid-season. They replaced him with 39-year-old Ben Johnson, who became the hottest name on the coaching market with his success as Detroit's offensive coordinator. "I see a chance for greatness here for him,' Johnson said Thursday on Fox Sports' 'The Herd,' hosted by Colin Cowherd. 'He's been communicated that way and he feels the same way. I don't know what's gone on prior to him joining the organization, but he is very proud to be a Chicago Bear. "That's what our conversations have included. He's really excited to get to work right now and be the best version of himself for 2025.' Williams and the Bears did not comment on the book excerpts, which were published by ESPN Thursday. Williams seems likely to respond when he reports for OTAs next week. The Bears have never had a quarterback pass for 4,000 yards, a level six quarterbacks reached last season. That list did not include Washington's Jayden Daniels, who threw for only 27 yards more than Williams after being selected with the second pick. But Daniels also ran for 891 yards and carried the Commanders to two playoff victories, leading to questions about whether the Bears picked the right quarterback. Both he and the team are determined to erase that perspective. Poles has rebuilt the offensive line that contributed to 68 sacks of Williams in his rookie season and selected pass receivers Rome Odunze, Colston Loveland and Luther Burden III with first- or second-round picks in the last two drafts. In the book, Williams criticized the coaching he received during the Bears' chaotic 5-12 season. Passing game coordinator Thomas Brown was promoted to replace Shane Waldron as offensive coordinator on Nov. 12 and then named as interim head coach when Eberflus was fired a week later. Poles and Johnson have overhauled the coaching staff. Declan Doyle, 28, was named as offensive coordinator — however, Johnson will call plays — former Ohio State quarterback J.T. Barrett as quarterbacks coach and Press Taylor as pass game coordinator. Robbie Picazo was retained as offensive assistant, quarterbacks and receivers. The Bears had one of the NFL's youngest quarterback groups in 2024. Second-year backup Tyson Bagent was the most experienced in the room after Brett Rypien was cut at the end of training camp. But Poles signed 37-year-old Case Keenum (one year, $2.25 million) to join Bagent and Austin Reed in the mix. Williams appears to be excited about getting to work. The NFL, too, seems intrigued. The Bears were given five stand-alone games on the just-released schedule, including a Monday Night Football game at Minnesota in Week 1. The Bears' offense is set up for success but nothing will come easily in the loaded NFC North. Detroit, Minnesota and Green Bay were a combined 40-11 last season. The first task for Williams and his coaches is to put Chicago in the conversation, then they can pursue Johnson's vision of greatness.
New York Times
07-05-2025
- Business
- New York Times
Big Ten revenue soared to $928 million for 2024 fiscal year
In its final year as a 14-member conference, the Big Ten saw its revenue soar to $928 million, with projections to exceed $1 billion during the current 2025 fiscal year, according to the league's 2024 tax statement. The league disbursed between $63.26 million and $63.43 million to 12 of its members and $61.52 million to Rutgers and Maryland, which borrowed money from the Big Ten while they were considered non-vested members from 2014 to 2020. Both should obtain full shares in 2027. The 2024 fiscal year concluded on June 30, 2024. Most of the league's 18 athletics departments have budgeted around $75 million from Big Ten coffers for the current 2025 fiscal year. Maryland and Rutgers will obtain slightly smaller shares. Of the former Pac-12 schools that joined the Big Ten, Washington and Oregon have half-shares until the 2030 fiscal year, while USC and UCLA entered the Big Ten as fully vested members. Former Big Ten commissioner Kevin Warren received more than $6.8 million, including $5.75 million in bonuses, for ushering in new media rights contracts, a development first reported by USA Today. Warren left the Big Ten for the Chicago Bears on April 14, 2023. Former Big Ten commissioner Jim Delany received more than $5.85 million in both reportable and deferred compensation from the Big Ten. Delany retired on Jan. 2, 2020. Tony Petitti, who replaced Warren as commissioner in May 2023, earned $2.62 million in base compensation and bonuses in fiscal 2024. Also notable: A new media-rights contract with CBS and NBC helped Big Ten profits grow by more than $48 million. But for the fourth straight year, the league posted a shortfall, with expenses growing to $942 million. Still, the league recorded net assets of $213 million. In the same fiscal year, the Southeastern Conference earned $898.75 million and disbursed between $52.35 million and $53.13 million to its 14 full-time members. The SEC also provided new members Oklahoma and Texas with $27.5 million to offset their Big 12 media rights forfeitures. (Photo: Michael Allio / Icon Sportswire AP Images)
