Proposed "Home Team Act" could slam door on Bears move to Indiana
NBC Sports • • sports
Key Points:
- A new bill in Congress, called the "Home Team Act," aims to prevent sports teams from relocating without first offering local interests the opportunity to purchase the team, directly impacting the Chicago Bears' stadium negotiations.
- The Bears are currently leveraging Indiana against Illinois to secure a new domed stadium, but the bill would eliminate the option of relocating to Indiana.
- Co-sponsor Rep. Greg Casar described the bill as a measure to keep the Bears in Chicago and criticized billionaire owners for pitting taxpayers against each other to secure public subsidies.
- The bill, introduced by Democrats, is expected to gain bipartisan support, with notable interest from Illinois members of Congress, though its passage faces significant challenges.
- Despite skepticism about Congress prioritizing this issue, Casar emphasized the importance of addressing sports team relocations alongside other legislative priorities, though approval by Congress and the president remains uncertain.
