Deal for new Bears stadium would be 'near impossible' to get done in 2024, Illinois governor says

He says there isn't an 'acceptable' proposal currently on the table

The Chicago Bears are looking for a new home, but according to the Illinois governor, it will be "near impossible" to reach a deal on a new stadium in 2024. 

Solider Field has been the home of the Bears since 1971, and with the lowest capacity in the NFL, there have been talks for some time about building a new stadium for the team, but there have been multiple delays. 

Governor J.B. Pritzker explained why he doesn't envision a deal going through this calendar year, saying there isn't a passable proposal in play.

"I made it clear to the Bears leadership that it would be near impossible to get anything done -- if there was a proposal put on the table that could get done, you couldn't actually get it done, probably, during the veto session and would have to wait until next spring," Pritzker said, via the Chicago Tribune. "But in reality, there isn't a proposal on the table right now that would be acceptable to anyone that I know in the legislature."

The Bears are looking to build a publicly owned domed lakefront stadium. The team will invest over $2 billion in private money into the project. Over a year ago, the team secured a 362-acre space in Arlington Heights, Illinois. They have shifted gears and now have plans to build in Chicago, near the current stadium, after tax issues arose.

Pritzker called the initial proposal for the lakefront stadium a "nonstarter" and hasn't bought into using public money for the project. The proposal from April asked for $1.5 billion requires legislative approval and $1.5 billion for infrastructure around the new stadium.

"I've done a lot of research on this topic," Pritzker said. "But let me be clear: There isn't much change."

Team CEO Kevin Warren says this summer and fall will be "critically important" to their goal of getting a new home for the Bears and their fans.