Tag: Soldier Field

Notre Dame to play annual game vs. Navy at Gillette Stadium in 2026

Make your travel plans now.

Whenever Notre Dame goes on the road to play Navy, a large venue always is in order. There’s a great deal that goes into the history of this rivalry, so a stadium worthy of it is a must.

Halloween 2026 will be the next time the Midshipmen act as the home team in this game, and a stadium new to both the rivalry and the Irish will enter the fold. During that season, the teams will meet at Gillette Stadium, the home of the New England Patriots and Revolution in Foxborough, Massachusetts.

The Irish never have played at Gillette Stadium, and this rivalry never has had a game in the New England region. The Midshipmen made their first appearance at the stadium last year for the Army-Navy Game.

This is the second 2026 Irish road game to be scheduled at an NFL stadium. They will open the season against Wisconsin at Lambeau Field in Green Bay, Wisconsin.

The Irish and Badgers were to meet at the home of the Packers as part of the 2020 Shamrock Series, but COVID-19 squashed those plans. They ultimately met for that game in 2021 at Soldier Field in Chicago, the home of the Bears.

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Follow Geoffrey on X: @gfclark89

New York Yankees Museum features relics from Notre Dame-Army rivalry

Want to see pieces of Irish history in the Bronx?

The 2024 Shamrock Series will mark the first time Notre Dame has faced Army at Yankee Stadium since 2010. However, Irish football historians know that the teams playing each other in the Bronx goes back nearly a century.

The Irish and Black Knights faced each other at the original Yankee Stadium nearly every year from 1925 to 1946. The one exception was 1930, when the game was played at Soldier Field in Chicago.

I was in New York this past weekend to make my first trip to Yankee Stadium, where I came across the New York Yankees Museum. That’s where I discovered programs from the teams’ games at the original stadium in 1941 (a scoreless tie) and 1945 (a 48-0 blowout victory for the Knights).

The relics didn’t end there though. There was a piece of the goalpost from the 1932 game (the Irish won, 21-0) and a marker indicating that the 1928 contest is when [autotag]Knute Rockne[/autotag] famously told his team to “Win One for the Gipper”, which it did, 12-6.

So if you ever get to visit Yankee Stadium, swing by the New York Yankees Museum before or during the game. Admission is free, and you’ll be in awe by every historical relic you see, but especially those related to the Irish.

Contact/Follow us @IrishWireND on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Notre Dame news, notes, and opinions.

Follow Geoffrey on Twitter: @gfclark89

See Photos of Notre Dame vs. USC in Chicago from 1927

More than a full house on Chicago’s lakefront

For someone outside of Chicago it may be hard to believe but Notre Dame‘s history at Soldier Field dates back nearly fifty years longer than the Chicago Bears have played there.

Now, Notre Dame has played 13 games their all-time and the Bears have hundreds, but the Bears didn’t move from Wrigley Field to Chicago’s lakefront until 1970.

Recently on social media, the account College Football Campus Tour posted a few old photographs from one of Notre Dame’s earliest games at Solider Field.

The one posted by Michael Baker who runs the account is of Notre Dame’s first “home” game against USC back in 1927.  Instead of being played on Notre Dame’s campus though, the game was played at Soldier Field in Chicago.

In front of over 120,000 people.

Northwestern may claim to be Chicago’s Big Ten Team, but it remains obvious who always been and remains Chicago’s College Football Team.

Related: Best Photos of Notre Dame’s Most Recent Trip to Soldier Field

ESPN Releases 2024 Preseason FPI Rankings, CFP Odds

LOOK: Renderings for Bears’ proposed new lakefront stadium in Chicago

Take a look at the renderings for the Bears’ proposed new stadium on the Chicago lakefront.

The Chicago Bears unveiled plans for a domed lakefront stadium Wednesday during a presentation at Soldier Field.

It is a $4.6 billion project, according to the Sun-Times. On top of $2 billion from the team, additional stadium funds would come via NFL loan request ($300 million) and an Illinois Sports Facilities Authority bond request ($900 million), which brings it to a total of $3.225 billion. The rest would contribute to infrastructure. The organization said it would be 72% funded by them and the NFL.

Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson said the building of a new Bears stadium will “result in no new taxes on the residents of Chicago.”

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“This is not an easy project, but Chicago doesn’t like it easy,” said Bears president/CEO Kevin Warren. “We like to do the difficult things … the things that resonate with people for generations to come.”

The project would require approval from the state, however, and Gov. J.B. Pritzker has expressed skepticism that a stadium project should involve taxpayer dollars.

The Bears shared renderings depicting a stadium atop the current South Parking lot of Soldier Field. The renderings feature an all-glass roof, keeping the historic colonnades in place. Te design shares some similarities with Allegiant Stadium (Las Vegas) and U.S. Bank Stadium (Minnesota).

Here are the renderings, along with a video, via ChicagoBears.com.

Bears president Kevin Warren says intention is to build new stadium on lakefront

Bears president Kevin Warren spoke at the owners meetings on Tuesday and says he intents to break ground on a new stadium on the lakefront.

The Chicago Bears’ stadium saga continues to roll on, with little action taking place. The team is at an impasse with Arlington Heights and the 326-acre property they purchased over a year ago, and reports came out two weeks ago that indicate they have their sights set on a new stadium near Soldier Field.

On Tuesday, president Kevin Warren confirmed that the team intends to build a new stadium on the lakefront.

Warren met with reporters during the 2024 NFL owners meetings in Orlando, Florida, and was asked by CHGO’s Adam Hoge whether the Bears intended to build a new stadium in Chicago if everything came together. Warren didn’t mince words.

“The plan would be to put a shovel in the ground on the lakefront,” he said.

Ever since he was hired as team president and CEO, Warren has expressed his affinity for the city of Chicago. Last August, in an interview with Peter King, Warren talked about the possible options for a stadium location and couldn’t stop gushing about Chicago and its lakefront.

“God really kissed downtown Chicago with that lakefront,” Warren said via NBC Sports Chicago. “I don’t think there’s any place in the country that has that beauty of a city right upon a beautiful lake in Lake Michigan.”

The vision for a new stadium just south of Soldier Field comes after the difficulties the Bears have had with the Arlington Park property. Disagreements surrounding the proposed tax assessments have stalled progress, and even after the village recently proposed a fair compromise that would lower the current tax rate, the Bears are making their intentions clear.

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Arlington Heights proposes tax cut for potential Bears stadium

Don’t look now, but the Bears to Arlington Heights stadium isn’t dead yet.

Don’t look now, but Arlington Heights has put themselves back in the race for a new Chicago Bears stadium site.

According to the Chicago Tribune, Arlington Heights is proposing a tax cut compromise for a potential new domed stadium at the former Arlington International Racecourse, which was purchased by the Bears last February.

Arlington Heights proposed an agreement to accept the Cook County Board of Review’s assessed value of $124.7 million for the 2023 and 2024 tax years. This is in response to the disagreement between the Bears and local school districts involving the property tax bill.

Here are additional details from the Chicago Tribune about the tax breakdown:

The property would be assessed at the 25% commercial rate for half of 2023 and the 10% vacant property rate for the other half, resulting in a total tax liability of $6.3 million, according to Arlington Heights’ Feb. 27 proposal, which the village released publicly late Monday after an open records request by the Tribune.

For the 2024 tax year, the property would be assessed at the 10% rate, resulting in a tax bill of $3.6 million, according to the proposal. Both figures would be a big cut from taxes currently estimated to be near $10 million.

This move comes shortly after the Bears shifted their focus to building a new stadium on the Chicago lakefront just south of Soldier Field — where the organization announced they would commit $2 billion toward the stadium. According to the Chicago Tribune, the Bears remain interested in the Arlington Heights property, but their main focus remains the lakefront.

Could this have been a power play by Warren to use leverage for a secondary stadium site to get the original site he wanted all along? Or does Warren really have his sights set on a lakefront stadium? Guess we’ll have to wait and see.

Bears prepared to provide $2 billion in private funding for new lakefront stadium to replace Soldier Field

The Chicago Bears are closer to staying in the city than ever before.

The Chicago Bears are closer to staying in the city than ever before.

According to the Chicago Tribune’s Robert McCoppin, the Bears are preparing to provide $2 billion in private funding for a new publicly owned enclosed stadium on the lakefront that would replace Soldier Field.

This lakefront site, which would be in the area of Waldron Drive (just south of Soldier Field), would replace the current stadium while also increasing open space on the museum campus by 20 percent. It would give the Bears an idea location to host the Super Bowl, NCAA Final Four and other big events.

While this new state-of-the-art stadium would replace Soldier Field, the project would include saving the Soldier Field colonnade in honor of veterans.

“The future stadium of the Chicago Bears will bring a transformative opportunity to our region — boosting the economy, creating jobs, facilitating mega events and generating millions in tax revenue,” Bears president Kevin Warren said in a statement. “We look forward to sharing more information when our plans are finalized.”

Just over a year ago, the Bears purchased the Arlington International Racecourse site with plans to build a new state-of-the-art stadium. But disagreement on increased property taxes have stalled matters, and the focus has shifted to a new stadium on the Chicago lakefront.

More than $100K of maintenance equipment stolen from Soldier Field

What else could go wrong for the Bears this week?

The hits keep on coming for the Chicago Bears this week. According to a manager at Soldier Field, approximately $100,000 worth of equipment was stolen sometime Wednesday night. The news was first reported by ABC7 Chicago.

The manager said the stolen equipment includes John Deere Gator utility vehicles and lawnmowers used to prepare the field. The equipment was taken from one of the parking structures at the stadium, and the thieves took down a security fence to drive the mowers and Gators out of the garage. According to ESPN, the equipment was the property of a contractor and not the Bears. The equipment has yet to be located.

The Bears haven’t played at Soldier Field since their Week 1 loss to the Green Bay Packers on Sept. 10. They’re playing another away game this week when they take on the Kansas City Chiefs, so fortunately the stolen equipment won’t make an impact. They return to the lakefront next week to take on the Denver Broncos.

It’s just another odd story to add to the growing list of issues facing the Bears this week. After their Week 2 loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Chicago has been in the media for everything under the sun. First there were comments made by Justin Fields regarding the coaching staff that gained traction. Then there was the sudden resignation of defensive coordinator Alan Williams, about which nobody at Halas Hall can speak. And now equipment has been stolen at the stadium.

What else can go wrong for the Bears this week? We probably shouldn’t ask that because, at this point, anything can happen.

Justin Fields is adamant about the Bears getting an indoor stadium

The Bears quarterback isn’t a fan of the cold and windy conditions at Soldier Field and believes it slows him down.

Whether fans like it or not, the Chicago Bears are slowly inching towards a move to Arlington Heights to play in a climate-controlled stadium instead of the outdoor elements at Soldier Field. While some former players have pushed back on the notion of playing indoors, count Bears quarterback Justin Fields as a big fan of the idea.

Fields, speaking on Barstool Sports’ Pardon My Take podcast this week, expressed his displeasure with adjusting to the bitter cold temperatures and howling winds that can be found at Soldier Field late in the season. “It is very difficult to adjust to it, especially with the wind,” Fields said. “That’s what it’s all about is the wind. It can be cold, it can be 10 degrees. With no wind, you’re fine but with that 15-20 mph wind, you can’t fight it. It’s tough.”

The cold and windy weather at Soldier Field, better known as “Bear weather,” has been considered a key factor for Bears games over the last 50 years. Defensive players love it, knowing opposing offenses will likely struggle. But Fields can’t stand it and even offers up why it puts him at a disadvantage.

“The thing is about that weather, when it’s that cold, you have to bundle up,” Fields said emphatically. “Put a bunch of layers on and stuff like that. Your body’s cold so you’re not warmed up. I feel way slower in that cold weather so it’s tough. You of course want to try and stay warm on the sideline but it’s hard to stay warm in that weather.”

In case he wasn’t clear by those answers, Fields made sure to spell it out. “I hope we just get a dome. I don’t care if we’re at Soldier Field, Arlington Heights, I hope we get a dome.”

It’s not surprising to hear a quarterback talk about wanting to play in warmer elements. But with speed being such an important part of Fields’ game, hearing that he even feels slower in the cold weather puts things in a different perspective. Fields is one of the fastest quarterbacks in the league and has broken multiple runs of 60 yards or more. If he were playing indoors more frequently, would his production increase? Would it improve his scrambling ability?

Fields already set multiple NFL records this past year and became just the third quarterback in league history to rush for more than 1,000 yards in a season, totaling 1,143 yards and eight touchdowns. Interestingly enough, Fields totaled more than 70 rushing yards in all but one game at Soldier Field after the calendar turned to November, though his lowest output did come on Christmas Eve against the Buffalo Bills, one of the coldest games in Bears history. Fields had just 11 yards on seven carries the entire day.

Fields may need to wait a few years, but the Bears continue to move towards a move to Arlington Heights. They’re expected to close on the 326-acre property no later than the end of March and that date could even be pushed up according to ESPN 1000’s David Kaplan. Chairman George McCaskey already indicated last fall the team will look to build an enclosed stadium on the property should the deal materialize, erasing any doubt about any plans for an outdoor field.

For now, however, Fields will need to continue adapting to the cold weather. Hopefully it doesn’t slow him down too much but based on his production last year, he appears to be handling the elements well.

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Instant analysis of the Bears’ Week 15 loss to Eagles

The #Bears lost a close one in this gritty matchup against the Philadelphia #Eagles

The Chicago Bears did their best to grit out a tough win in front of the Soldier Field crowd on Sunday, but couldn’t quite overcome the conference-best Philadelphia Eagles. Quarterback Justin Fields held his own on offense, rushing for 95 yards and coming back to make a daring fourth-quarter comeback attempt.

It was over when…

… Jalen Hurts and the Eagles’ offense converted a first down in Bears territory after the two-minute warning. Chicago had run out of timeouts and was unable to stop the clock when the Eagles went into victory formation.

Game balls

QB Justin Fields: Fields led the Bears in rushing and put up almost 200 yards in the passing game along with two touchdowns and no interceptions. His comeback attempt in the fourth quarter should stick with Chicago’s fans for a long time to come, even if the Bears didn’t manage to win.

CB Kyler Gordon: The Bears’ rookie cornerback fought hard against the Eagles and came down with an impressive interception of Jalen Hurts. Philadelphia has some of the best receivers in the NFL, and this game could’ve gotten out of hand if it weren’t for the work Gordon put in against them.

Key stat

6 Sacks: Chicago’s offensive line allowed six sacks on the day, which made it nearly impossible for Fields to move the ball through the air. Everything he accomplished today was in spite of his offensive line.

Quick hits:

  • Running back David Montgomery found the endzone on a nine-yard touchdown run that gave the Bears an early lead in the first quarter.
  • Seven Bears combined for five or more tackles on the day, and the team was led by linebacker Nicholas Morrow who tallied 11 in the game.
  • Justin Fields ended the game with a passer rating of 119.5.
  • Chicago fumbled the ball four times in this matchup, losing only one.
  • The Bears were outscored by just five points despite being out-gained by nearly 200 yards on offense.
  • Chicago was penalized six times in this game for a total of 30 yards.
  • Byron Pringle led the team in receiving, catching two balls for 39 yards and a touchdown.

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