Likely Seating Capacity For Chicago Bears Arlington Stadium Revealed

Since purchasing the Arlington Park property, the Chicago Bears have been battling politicians, activist groups, and bureaucratic red tape for years. They would prefer to keep the team downtown, where it has been for a century. Sadly, the state isn't giving them the necessary support to make that feasible. That is why recent signs indicate the decision to go with Arlington Heights feels inevitable. It is only a matter of when team president Kevin Warren accepts reality and makes the announcement.

Fans are over the drama at this point. They want a result, one way or another. The sooner the team starts the process of leaving Soldier Field, the better. Plenty of questions remain to be answered about what the new stadium will offer. Among the biggest is the seating capacity. No team has a lower number in the NFL at present than the Bears, with 61,500. Some have dreams of reaching 70,000 or higher. Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune shared what he's been hearing as the process nears its climax.

"For starters, there haven’t been any final plans for a new stadium the Bears hope to build in Arlington Heights, Chicago or who knows where. But the general number I have heard is somewhere in the mid- to high 60,000s."

Cost-saving will determine the Chicago Bears' seating decision.

Since 2014, five teams have opened a new stadium in the NFL. Only two cracked the 70,000-seat barrier with SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles and the Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta. Every other one fell in the exact range Biggs described of the mid-to-high 60,000s. That includes Allegiant Stadium (Raiders) and U.S. Bank Stadium (Vikings), the two buildings that most feel are dictating how the Chicago Bears want to build theirs. Remember, the McCaskey family isn't rich by NFL owner standards. They have to budget carefully because of this, especially if Illinois doesn't offer any public support. While a capacity of 65-69,000 might feel like an underwhelming jump, it aligns with what most modern buildings do these days. How high they go remains to be seen.