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The Chicago Bears’ 2034 home opener finally is upon us.

After another grueling rebuild, fans are once again excited about the Bears’ Super Bowl prospects — and the debut of their new retractable dome in Arlington Heights.

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The new stadium has been 13 years in the making and the McCaskey family has overcome numerous obstacles since revealing plans to purchase the Arlington Heights site back in 2021.

As the new era for Bears football begins, here’s a brief timeline of how we got here.

2021

The Bears announce they’ve submitted a bid to purchase the Arlington International Racecourse property, even as their lease on Soldier Field runs through 2033. Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot calls it a “negotiating tactic,” and while NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell tells WSCR-AM 670 Soldier Field is a “great place,” he adds: “We’re all looking to the long term and trying to look at alternatives, and that’s what the Bears are doing.”

2022

With the land purchase completed, the Bears go on a public relations offensive to convince state lawmakers that Illinois would benefit from a publicly funded stadium in Arlington Heights. The effort fails, in spite of lobbying by former coach Mike Ditka, who touts the inclusion of the Ditka Cigar Lounge in the new stadium.

2023

With the election of Chance the Rapper as the new Chicago mayor, the McCaskeys intensify their efforts to negotiate the end of their Soldier Field lease. But talks go nowhere, and Mayor Chance the Rapper drops a new single, “Bear Down, Pay The Rent!”

2024

On the 100th anniversary of Soldier Field opening, the city council votes to change its name to DuSable Field. No progress is made with the city over the lease, but the McCaskeys begin talks with a new gambling website, Bets-R-Us.com, to form a partnership funding 70% of the construction costs of a new retractable dome stadium, informally referred to as “McDome 2.0.” The village of Arlington Heights agrees to fund the rest of the project through new taxes on oil-change services located at Route 53 and Northwest Highway.

2025

The seasonlong celebration of the 40th anniversary of the 1985 Bears begins with a new statue honoring the Refrigerettes, the personal cheerleaders of William “The Refrigerator” Perry. But the chasm between the McCaskeys and the city has grown deeper. In spite of the reluctance of Mayor Chance the Rapper to let the Bears out of their lease, construction begins on the new stadium, tentatively named Halas Field. The Bears promise special access lanes on the DuSable Expressway (formerly the Kennedy Expressway) on game days. The project is slated to be completed by late 2029, with hopes to move in by the 2030 season.

2026

With NFL expansion talks beginning, Mayor Chance the Rapper promotes the idea of a second football team in Chicago, which could play at Wrigley Field, the former home of the Bears. The McCaskeys use their clout to prevent the NFL from granting an expansion franchise in Chicago, furthering their divide with the city. Meanwhile, the Chicago city council votes to change the name of the Midway Plaisance Park to the DuSable Midway Plaisance Park, forcing the Bears to officially change their nickname to “Monsters of the DuSable Midway.”

2027

As Chance the Mayor (formerly Chance the Rapper) begins his second term and quarterback Justin Fields leads the Bears to their first Super Bowl in 20 years, CEO and President Ted Phillips announces the team is giving up on its effort to end the lease and instead will move to Halas Field in 2034.

2028

In February, the New England Patriots beat the Bears in Super Bowl LXII, as returning hero Tom Brady scores on a game-ending quarterback sneak. In September, Phillips, the fourth president in franchise history, announces his retirement after the season during a halftime ceremony of the opener against the Green Bay Packers. A stadium employee is later fired for starting the Bear Raid siren during Phillips’s speech.

2029

“Sparky” McCaskey, the great-grandson of George Halas, takes the reins and immediately promises to install new sod at DuSable Field. A ribbon-cutting ceremony take place at newly named Papa Bear Field (formerly Halas Field), even with the Bears giving up on move by 2030. Bet-R-Days.com (formerly Bets-R-Us.com) promises to have gambling kiosks and beer stands up and running by the start of the 2030 season. Fields leaves for the Cleveland Browns via free agency after breaking all of the franchise quarterback records not held by Sid Luckman. The Bears start another rebuild.

2030

Frustrated over the lack of amenities and parking at DuSable Field, the McCaskeys attempt to buy out the final four years of their lease. But Chance the Mayor refuses to budge and threatens to sue the Bears and the NFL on behalf of the city if they attempt to keep the name “Chicago” after moving. In a poll of Bears fans commissioned by the team, the preferred choice for a new name is simply “Da Bears.”

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2031

Attendance declines at DuSable Field in Year 3 of the rebuild, thanks to an ill-advised plan by offensive coordinator Chase Daniel to “thrill the nation” with a return to the T formation. With the Bears on their way out of town, new Mayor J.B. Pritzker not only refuses to upgrade the stadium but directs the Chicago Park District to replace the new sod with old, patchy sod.

2032

The NFL grants Chicago an expansion team for the 2036 season while giving in to city’s demands to prevent the Bears from using “Chicago,” avoiding a costly lawsuit. The Bears agree to change their name in 2034.

2033

The Bears announce plans for a seasonlong celebration of “historic DuSable Field,” while secretly moving statues of George Halas, Walter Payton and the Refrigerettes to Papa Bear Field under the cloak of darkness. Meanwhile, a plan to leave the roof of Papa Bear Field open when snow is in the forecast is leaked, leading to a yearlong debate on whether “Bear weather” was a myth created in 1985. In the 2033 season finale, the Bears lose in heartbreaking fashion to the Detroit Lions, finishing with a 9-10 record in the first year of the 19-game schedule.

2034

Rookie quarterback Camden Cutler, son of former Bears QB Jay Cutler, takes the reins in the season opener against the Packers. With the start of the Bear Raid siren, a new era officially begins for Da Bears of Arlington Heights.

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