Experts weigh in on what Bears win mean for ticket prices, stadium negotiations
Bears fans are roaring after a thrilling overtime takedown of the Packers. A heart-stopping win in the NFL's oldest and bitterest rivalry.
The victory pushed the Bears one step closer to their first postseason appearance since 2020. On Sunday, they obtained that after the Steelers beat the Lions.
But what does this surge mean for fans eager to grab tickets, and how fast could prices rise?
Come to Soldier Field, and you will see single-game tickets still for sale. However, given this hot streak and the results of Saturday night's game, what is going to happen to the price of tickets and to the negotiation for a future stadium?
The energy was up early for a team that seems to be finding its own rhythm. One day after the big win, fans have high hopes for the future.
"Crazy. We have waited a long time for this," Naperville resident Mary Kay Bowie said.
The Chicago Bears came back in overtime to beat the Packers 22 to 16 at Soldier Field to take back control of the NFC North.
"My friend, I started to do the ticket broker shuffle," Steve Buzil said.
Buzil, a ticket broker, that win against the Packers translates to dollars for his business with a 10-15% increase in the ticket market.
"I got calls, starting getting calls from people who wanted to start buying tickets for the next game. They talked about the Super Bowl, they talked about season tickets, they talked about tickets in the new stadium. You know all of this is 11 or 12 o'clock at night," he said.
He believes the Bears will move ahead with a plan for a new stadium even days after they float the idea of heading to Northwest Indiana, saying scoreboard success could increase funding pressure, too.
"I think this is business negotiations 101. They are using that as leverage to get the government and the politicians off their keister to come up with some funds for whatever they need to do to negotiate these deals," Buzil said.
As for Bears fans, even those who may benefit from a stadium closer to home, hope that it doesn't land in Indiana.
"We live in the south suburbs, like deep south suburbs," Fernanda Duran said. "I just… I mean, they're their Chicago Bears. No, I don't wanna be in Indiana."
"We're just not terribly excited about the Indiana Bears," Bowie said.
Experts said this is a season that could change the conversation, driving up hope and demand.
"Whatever they did, they made everybody believe," Buzil said.
Experts said that ticket prices are certainly not set yet, so that means that people should still keep an eye on them for any sort of fluctuations on last-minute tickets.
Cancer survivor honored during Bear Down flag ceremony
Aside from the win, another memorable moment from the game happened right before kick-off.
A Crystal Lake cancer survivor was honored as the team's special guest during the Bear Down flag ceremony.
Kendall Albright, 30, helped unfurl the giant flag at Soldier Field during pre-game introductions.
Her breast cancer journey started last July, just two weeks before her wedding. This past May, she underwent a double mastectomy.
Ablight said she's now cancer-free and stronger than ever.