When the Chicago Bears travel 100 miles south from Halas Hall in Lake Forest to Bourbonnais, Illinois, they will be ready for their 17th consecutive Training Camp on the campus of Olivet Nazarene University. This partnership brings together the oldest professional football organization with its most loyal fans in an easily accessible, quality setting.
Team practices open to the public begin on Saturday, July 21, and continue as scheduled through Saturday, August 11. Fans are invited to watch the team practice during scheduled times. They must have FREE tickets to enter. There is no admission charge.
Get FREE tickets here for all daytime practices.
Get FREE tickets here for the special night practice and fireworks event at Olivet’s Ward Field on August 11.
“Having this opportunity to work with Head Coach Matt Nagy and the Bears organization never loses its excitement,” said Jeff Domagalski, Olivet’s director of community relations. “We look forward to welcoming the team and all of the fans back to campus this year.”
Preparations for the Bears’ arrival on campus are well underway. Rob Lalumendre, director of Olivet’s Physical Plant, reports that his team is working on maintenance and repairs to ensure the practice fields are in the best shape possible when the Bears arrive. They are also preparing existing facilities for the Bears’ specific needs: resetting housing, adding fencing and tents in designated areas, placing stakes and ropes around the practice fields, and a host of other projects.
A complete schedule and list of special theme days is available at ChicagoBears.com, along with the team’s official mobile app for Android, iPhone/iPod Touch, Windows Phone and other devices.
Training Camp 2018 features one night practice, scheduled for 7:10 p.m. on August 11 at Olivet’s Ward Field. The evening will conclude with a fireworks display. The remaining 10 practices open to the public begin at 8:15 a.m. on the designated days.
The Bears continue to travel for training camp because they recognize the value of this effort for players, coaches and fans. The team appreciates the outstanding facilities available at Olivet, including four full grass fields and the 168,000-square-foot recreation center.
Bears Training Camp brings thousands of people to the greater Kankakee area each summer. In addition to opportunities to meet and interact with the players, fans also frequent the many restaurants, shopping and lodging options available to them.
Breaking news about the team and players, camp events and other activities is reported by Chicago media, the third largest media market in the country. A variety of sports media and other news organizations — including Chicago Bears Network TV and Radio, ESPN, NFL.com, Comcast SportsNet, Chicago Tribune and The Daily Journal — also report from Bourbonnais.
Chicago Bears’ George Halas founded professional football in 1920 and led the move to form the American Professional Football Association, which later became the NFL. His first team, the Decatur Staleys, became the Chicago Bears. The team’s history includes nine NFL Championships, including one Super Bowl, and more than 740 victories on the field. To date, 34 from this organization have been named to the Pro Football Hall of Fame — a NFL record.
