Bears set training-camp schedule

Eleven of the Bears’ training-camp practices at Halas Hall will be open to the public, the team said Tuesday.

Players will report July 26, and the first open-to-the-public practice will be two days later. The practices open to the public will be July 28-30, Aug. 2-3, Aug. 5, Aug. 7, Aug. 10-11, Aug. 15 and Aug. 20. All practices at Halas Hall will begin at 10 a.m. and end about two hours later.

Fans who attend must have mobile tickets, which are free and available starting at 10 a.m. July 7 at ChicagoBears.com/camp. Fans are limited to four tickets per day.

Fans must park at Hawthorn Mall in Vernon Hills and take a free shuttle to Halas Hall in Lake Forest about seven miles away. Ride-share companies, such as Uber and Lyft, won’t be allowed to drop off passengers at Halas Hall or at nearby businesses.

The Bears once again will hold Family Fest at Soldier Field. That practice starts at 10:35 a.m. Aug. 9.

When the Bears spent more than $100 million to remodel Halas Hall in 2019, they created enough space to house a 90-man roster during training camp and left Bourbonnais after 18 years at Olivet Nazarene University.

This camp marks their third back at Halas Hall. The public didn’t attend camp practices in 2020 because of the coronavirus pandemic. Attendance was limited by protocols last season but appeared to be sparse, even taking the virus into account. That contributed to the Bears’ decision to eliminate the ticket lottery they used last season. Tickets this year will be first-come, first-served.

Because the NFL no longer is operating under COVID protocols, players will be able to interact with fans — and sign autographs and pose for selfies — during camp.