Efforts to bring more professional sports teams to Northwest Indiana are starting to have an impact. A law passed during this year’s legislative session created a Northwest Indiana Professional Sports Development Commission, covering Lake, Porter, LaPorte and St. Joseph counties.
It hasn’t been able to convince the Chicago Bears to move across the state line, but the law’s author, State Representative Earl Harris Jr. (D-East Chicago), says he is seeing interest from other sports. "There is a professional cricket league in the United States," Harris said during a recent Indiana Black Legislative Caucus town hall in South Bend. "I didn’t know, either. And they’re looking at adding a seventh team in Northwest Indiana."
Harris said he hosted a tour of potential locations for a professional cricket ground. He said he’s also heard interest from an organizer of amateur MMA fighting.
Harris said it’s about growing the region. "Tourism, drawing people in, is a big thing," he said, "We’re, I think, a $14-15 billion state, and so, the more we can do to draw people into Northwest Indiana and our assets, the better."
The commission is allowed to create a master plan and acquire property. Its specific focus is on attracting an NFL, MLB, NBA, NHL or MLS team.
