Legislators in Illinois are considering a bill that would tie eligibility for new stadium funding to team performance.
According to the Chicago NBC affiliate, the “BEARS Act,” introduced by state rep. Bob Morgan, would require teams to win a majority of their games over a five-year period in order to be eligible to receive public funding for stadium projects, whether they are newly constructed homes or renovations of existing stadiums.
"Our primary goal with this bill is not to punish teams, but to ensure that Illinois taxpayers’ dollars are spent responsibly. No one wants to see taxpayer dollars wasted by billionaire team owners that are not investing in their teams’ competitiveness,” Morgan said in a statement. “As families across Illinois are tightening their belts due to the rising cost of living, we must be careful with how we spend limited public dollars, especially when it comes to billion-dollar franchises.”
BEARS is an acronym for “Balanced Earnings And Record Standards,” according to the press release.
The bill would require teams to achieve a record of .500 or better in three out of five seasons in order to qualify for any sort of public financing of any stadium construction or renovation project.
Both the Chicago Bears and the Chicago White Sox are currently mulling plans for new stadiums, and both projects have met with resistance from lawmakers in the state.
Under the terms of the bill, the White Sox would actually qualify for public financing, as they finished with a .500 or better record each season between 2020 and 2022. They were below .500 in 2023 and then set an MLB record with 121 losses during the 2024 campaign.
The Bears would not qualify for financing, as they’ve finished below .500 for four consecutive seasons dating back to the 2021 campaign. They did finish with a .500 or better record in three straight seasons between 2018 and 2020.
