The Northwest Indiana Professional Sports Development Commission hit the ground running during its first meeting Tuesday by appointing committee leaders, establishing meeting frequency and planning for future meetings.
The commission was established during the 2025 legislative session through House Enrolled Act 1292, authored by Rep. Earl Harris Jr., D-East Chicago, which established the Northwest Indiana professional development commission and a professional sports development fund.
The commission has been tasked with exploring and implementing strategies to attract one or more sports franchises to Northwest Indiana, Harris said. The law outlines teams to connect with include the Chicago Bears, the Chicago White Sox or Chicago Cubs, the Chicago Bulls or the Chicago Blackhawks, among others.
Harris, who isn’t a committee member, opened the meeting by sharing that the commission was an idea set forth by his father, former State Rep. Earl Harris, Sr.
“I picked up the ball, and we were able to get it across (the goal line) and get it completed. It’s another way to grow Northwest Indiana and make it more powerful, make it more attractive, make it a greater tourism area than it already is,” Harris said.
Northwest Indiana has assets “that other parts of the state and other parts of the country wished they had,” like the lakefront, an airport and many restaurants, Harris said.
Harris said he’s heard from groups who led a U.S. cricket league and amateur mixed martial arts that heard about the commission and expressed interest in coming to Northwest Indiana.
“We’re getting the ball rolling and want to continue down this process as we put this group together, and as this commission starts to work and develop it,” Harris said.
The bill outlines the 17-member commission, which include mayors from East Chicago, Gary, Hammond, Michigan City, LaPorte, Portage and South Bend, while the remaining members would be appointed by various people, including the executive director of the Northwest Indiana Regional Development Authority, and Lake, Porter, LaPorte and St. Joseph county leaders.
W. Jay Wilkinson, the CEO of Hoosier Investments, who was appointed to the commission by Gov. Mike Braun, was nominated as chairman of the commission. Hammond Mayor Thomas McDermott was appointed vice chair, and Phil Taillon, President of the South Shore Convention and Visitor Authority, who represents the Northwest Indiana Regional Development Authority for the commission, was appointed treasurer.
Additionally, committee members Porter County Commissioner Ed Morales; Porter County Councilman Jeremy Rivas; Don Popravak, president of the Northwest Indiana Oilmen baseball club, representing the Lake County Council; Michigan City Mayor Angie Nelson Deuitch; and Jeff Jarnecke, executive director of Visit South Bend Mishawaka, representing St. Joseph County attended the meeting in person. A handful of other members attended the meeting virtually.
The commission voted to meet quarterly at a minimum and monthly at most. The commission will meet in different locations throughout the areas it represents.
The commission voted to meet in St. Joseph County, at an undetermined date, for its next meeting after Wilkinson said he knew someone in the county with a sports franchise connection.
The law states that the commission can study various plans and recommendations to attract one or more professional sports franchises to Northwest Indiana and prepare a comprehensive master plan for building the facilities needed to attract the teams.
The commission’s fund will be operated locally, Harris said, and as the bill was moving through the legislature state funding was removed. The commission can receive grants and appropriations from federal, state and local governments as well as individuals, foundations and organizations, according to the law.
McDermott said the commission can apply for a $5,000 grant from the City of Hammond.
After the meeting, Harris said it went really well and that the commission “is headed in a good direction.”
“I think if my father were here and he saw that, now that the legislation was passed and became law, that we’re actually putting things in action, I think he would be excited. This was a very good first meeting, a lot of engagement, a lot of involvement,” Harris said.