Chicago Bears Question

[Nolan Dalla]

While watching the Illinois-LSU horror show last night, I caught passing reference to a report that next year (2002), the Bears will play their homes games in Champaign-Urbana. Is this true?

I realize that Soldier Field is in dire need of a facelift, but why would the Bears move 250 (?) miles south for an entire season? What will happen to the Bears season-ticket holders? Who will go to these games, college kids?

Unless I totally misunderstood what the announcer was saying, can someone please check the accuracy of this? Also, why don't the Bears play home games at White Sox Park, or on the Northwestern campus? What about Notre Dame Stadium...that has to be much closer. Why would the Bears move home games so far away?

Thanks in advance.

Nolan Dalla

 

[yyz]

It is true.

 

[goofy]

true dat. but season tix holders don't have to buy in 2002 to keep tix for 2003. team must hate this. wonder what it'll do to them next year.

<a href="http://www.nfl.com/ce/multi/0,3783,4436147,00.html">http://www.nfl.com/ce/multi/0,3783,4436147,00.html</a>

 

[BobbyBlueChip]

Yes. The report was accurate. Soldier Field is a pit and this had to be done. It looks pretty on TV, but it's terrible to go to to watch anything and if you want to got to the bathroom, you have the potential of asking about 35 people to move.

Ryan Field (N'western) only seats 49,000 as opposed to the 70,000 in Memorial Stadium and the problem with Notre Dame (2 1/2 hours away)is that it's a grass field and it's in another state.

Don't know what the situation is with the season ticket holders. I'm not sure if they get a one year reprieve. But the stadium will be filled due to the fans that make the migration and the fact that this is a unique situation for the Bear fans in southern Illinois.

 

[BobbyBlueChip]

One more funny aspect of the remodeling.

Construction was initially set up to start this week, which was initially set up to be the first week of the playoffs. Lots of confidence in the product that they put on the field.

No place like first place.

 

[Valuist]

There are enough die-hard Bear fans who will make the 3 hour drive south to Champaign. It's a horribly boring drive, but at least Champaign is a college town. Also will mean a surface switch to artificial turf next year, albeit "field grass", it still is artificial.