​The leadup to Chicago Bears training camp is always buzzing with anticipation. It marks the last few weeks before football feels almost unofficially back in our lives, and it brings with it the thrill of snagging training camp tickets for a few select dates at Halas Hall. In recent years, though, that excitement has often given way to frustration, and 2026 proved no exception.
Since the Bears moved their training camp from Olivet Nazarene University in Bourbonnais, Illinois back to Halas Hall, ticketing has become a bottleneck. Fans now have to secure tickets through Ticketmaster due to the limited practice-field capacity. The shift changed the camp experience for many: rather than spending days in Bourbonnais on their own timeline, fans must reserve seats for a single practice. And lately those tickets have been disappearing faster than a Caleb Williams throw.
On Wednesday, the Bears opened the window for fans to claim camp tickets, and many left empty-handed even after waiting in the Ticketmaster queue. Some blamed bots for jumping the line and grabbing tickets, while others longed for a return to Bourbonnais. Regardless of perspective, the current ticket process for Bears training camp isn’t getting easier for fans. It may be time to rethink the approach, and there are several potential options that, while not flawless, could improve things over the current system.
One practical consideration is the existing four-ticket limit. While this helps families attend, it also reduces overall availability and has led to situations where some tickets go unused or are attempted to be sold at the last minute. A straightforward change could be to lower the maximum to two tickets per household. If each practice has 1,200 tickets, allowing two per group might mean that about 600 groups could access seats instead of roughly half that number. It wouldn’t be perfect, but it would broaden access and increase the number of fans who can participate.
Another historical approach worth revisiting is the Bears’ 2021 lottery system, which allowed fans to sign up for preferred days and then had the Bears draw from the pool for each practice. This method helped mitigate bot issues associated with Ticketmaster and offered a clearer path to securing attendance. To further democratize access, the team could limit how many days a fan can select before the drawing—perhaps three days per person—before the lottery is held. Reintroducing a lottery component, with sensible caps on day selections, could provide a fairer chance for more fans to get in line for tickets.
It’s commendable that training camp tickets are free, but that generosity comes with its own set of challenges. The lack of a cost barrier can lead to hoarding or speculative resale, complicating the experience for genuine fans who want to be there in person. Any revised system should consider ways to encourage fair use and discourage hoarding, while preserving the accessibility that makes Bears camp special.
Looking ahead, there are several routes the Bears could explore to improve the training camp ticket process without sacrificing the fan-friendly, cost-free model. A hybrid approach could combine a lottery with a reduced per-user cap, ensuring a broader distribution of tickets while maintaining some predictability. Implementing stricter anti-bot measures and monitoring tools could help preserve the integrity of the process. Additionally, a return to Bourbonnais, even on a limited basis or as a rotating option for a few dates each year, could recapture the sense of community and tradition that many fans miss.
In the end, the goal remains simple: make Bears training camp more accessible to as many fans as possible while preserving the excitement and experience that make camp special. Whether through a two-ticket limit, a refined lottery system, or an occasional Bourbonnais revival, the organization has opportunities to craft a process that balances fairness, practicality, and that beloved sense of anticipation that accompanies the countdown to football.