Despite the White Sox series win over the Minnesota Twins during Labor Day weekend, the team’s biggest news didn’t take place on the field. On Saturday, future White Sox owner Justin Ishbia released renderings of a proposed White Sox stadium at the current Amtrak site he purchased earlier this year. The photos sent White Sox fans into a frenzy, with many loving the ideal of a skyline view, riverboat tailgates, and a potential splash zone akin to the ballparks in San Francisco and Pittsburgh. With rumors of the new stadium swirling, Illinois politicians have spoken out about Ishbia’s proposal, including Illinois Governor JB Pritzker, who addressed the media on Tuesday.
“I am excited about the prospect of the White Sox having new facilities,” Pritzker said. “And I know that he has talked about funding most of that himself, and may need some help from the state, but I haven’t talked to him specifically about it. I know there are some concerns that have been raised by some local communities – he should be listening to those. The White Sox should be listening to those and making sure they’re taking those into consideration, whatever the site may be. But again, what we want is for them to have a great new facility and for it to be in the state of Illinois, in the city of Chicago”
Gov. JB Pritzker, at a Bloomington presser today, sounds bullish on Justin Ishbia's White Sox stadium pursuit: https://t.co/1MIfvpl9dR pic.twitter.com/fTALrPzaE9
— Mitchell Armentrout (@mitchtrout) September 8, 2026
Pritzker's optimism represents a different tone than Bears fans saw
While it’s certainly not a done deal, Pritzker sounds open-minded to the idea of the White Sox building a new stadium, and the proposal by Ishbia would be in the Chicago city limits. This is a much different tone than Pritzker and other Illinois officials have taken with the Bears stadium saga, which has now been going for multiple years without a firm resolution. In that case, however, the team is looking to move outside the city and is receiving greater blowback from folks in the city.
Ultimately, it’ll come down to funding. The more Justin Ishbia is willing to pay for himself, the more cooperative the state is going to be with his efforts. As it stands right now, the White Sox stadium is on an island. There are a couple local restaurants and bars that surround the stadium in the Bridgeport area, but it’s nothing like the vast food and entertainment district surrounding Wrigley Field, Truist Park, or several other stadiums around MLB. A location near The 78 along the river would open the door to many of those possibilities and give fans a unique and exciting ballpark experience.
There are still some things that would need to be ironed out before moving forward with this stadium, and we’re likely talking about 2029-2030 before Ishbia takes over the team, the lease at the current stadium expires, and the construction of the new stadium is completed. Ishbia and the team would need to figure out the parking and transportation situations, which could be complicated by the stadium’s proximity to the river. But overall, the renderings are beautiful, and would make going to a game at Sox Park an A+ experience. I’m glad Governor Pritzker seems to recognize the potential.
As Justin Ishbia gets set to take over the White Sox, it’s truly an opportunity to bring the team into a new era. The White Sox may finally spend at the top of the market, develop talent well, and have a beautiful ballpark to entice players and fans. They still have a long way to go to become one of the premiere franchises in MLB, but they’re off to a strong start.
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