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 Soldier
Field II
Located in the Windy City along the
shores of Lake Michigan is Soldier Field, the home of the Chicago
Bears. When fans think of Soldier Field, they may think that it is
the oldest stadium in the NFL. However, it is one of the newer
stadiums in the league. The original Soldier Field opened in 1924
and had a seating capacity of 74,000. The Bears moved here from
Wrigley Field in 1971. In the mid 1980s discussions of new
stadiums was the talk of the city. The Chicago White Sox (MLB)
wanted a new stadium, Wrigley Field was over 70 years old and
Soldier Field was over 60 years old. In 1985 there were
discussions of building a new domed stadium in downtown for the
city's sports teams. By 1986 the Bears and the city began studying
plans to tear down Soldier Field to build a new stadium south of
it for $120 million.
Financing issues and where to build
a new stadium delayed a new home for the Bears for years.
Over the next decade there were
talks of building a stadium for the Bears in Arlington Heights,
McCormick Place, Elk Grove, in Gary, Indiana, in downtown Chicago
and the west side of the city. Finally in November 2000 the Bears
and the City of Chicago announced plans to build a new stadium on
the same site of their current home, Soldier Field.
The Bears had a rich tradition of playing football at Soldier
Field, the NFL's oldest stadium.
Because of its
historical presence in Chicago, the Bears decided to leave
the historic Greek colonnades that
Soldier Field is best known. The rest of the stadium would be
completely demolished and a new stadium would be built inside the
exterior shell.
In order for a new stadium to be
built, the Bears had to play the 2002 NFL season at Memorial
Stadium in Champaign, IL. At the conclusion of the 2001 season,
demolition and construction on the new stadium began. The Bears
new stadium continues to carry the name Soldier Field. 
It
has 61,500 blue seats in several tiers, improved seating, better
sightlines, enlarged concourses, two 96-foot-by-23-foot
video-boards, 8,000 club seats and 133 luxury suites. To preserve
Soldier Field, the classic colonnades remain intact as a lasting
monument to Soldier Field's glorious past and a 250-foot
granite-wall sculpture still serves as a memorial to the men and
women who served in the armed forces. Fans also are able to walk
among the colonnades and the horseshoe promenade. The Chicago
Bears played their first game at Soldier Field II on September 29,
2003 against the Green Bay Packers. With the opening of Lucas Oil
Stadium in Indianapolis in 2008, Soldier Field is now the smallest
stadium in the NFL.
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