Fans were charged $1 to attend games and company employees received a 50 percent discount, which was not economically feasible for the Staleys.

[6] The Bears moved to their current home – the city-owned Soldier Field – in 1971 after the AFL-NFL Merger, the newly merged league mandate instituted after the 1970 season dictated that teams must play in stadiums that could hold a minimum of 50,000 seats.

After the Bears left, this structure would live on for several years as the "North Stand" at Soldier Field, until it was replaced by permanent seating.

With the Bears wanting to stay in Chicago North side, in 1971 Halas signed a five-year deal with Northwestern University to play in Dyche Stadium (that at the time had a capacity of 55,000), but the deal was cancelled two weeks after, as the Big Ten Conference denied the Bears permission to play there.

[11] As a result of the Big Ten prevention, and subsequent move to the lakefront, ended their five-decade run on the north side.

By the end, the Bears played only one game at the stadium in 1970, a 20–26 win over Philadelphia Eagles, due to renovations to Wrigley Field.

The lease also stipulate that the Park District should upgrade the aging stadium for the sum of $700,000, including: installing synthetic turf, updating and move closer the seating, and building new dressing rooms.

[14] Although NFL Commissioner Pete Rozelle said publicly he wouldn't force the rule on the Bears, the city would later approved a $3.5 million renovation plan that would add 2,000 seats, among other improvements.

In 1980 the Park District stated they will close Soldier Field if the Bears did not sign a 20-year lease, and later blocked the team from selling tickets for the upcoming season.

On On July 17, 1980, the Bears reached a new 20-year lease agreement with the Park District, after agreeing to finance the $2.8 million cost of building 54 skybox suites.

[21] In 1977, the Bears revealed they had contact with then-White Sox owner Bill Veeck about the use of the stadium, as a temporary solution, as a result of the deteriorating state of Soldier Field.

[28] In 1991 Illinois governor James R. Thompson order planning a domed stadium (nicknamed "McDome") as part of a major expansion of McCormick Place.

[29] In 1995 the Bears announced they have acquired an option to purchase 200 acres in Hoffman Estates, Illinois, as one of four potential locations for its new $285 million, 74,000-seat stadium.

At the time it was believed that the Hoffman Estates location is the favorite, as the Bears wanted to return to Chicago North side.

[32] In September 2022 the Bears hosted an information meeting to discuss the potential purchase and possible development of Arlington Park at John Hersey High School.

[37] Demolition of former Arlington Park began in May, 2023,[38] but after disagreement over the property tax assessment,[39] prompted the Bears to explore alternative sites for its planned stadium.

[48] In September 2024, Friends of the Parks announce their opposition to the Bears' project and their intention to fight it with executive director Gin Kilgore stated "We'd like to say you never start with a lawsuit, but you don't take it off the table.