Ford Field

• 1. Origins And Planning

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  On the 20th of August 1996, the Detroit Lions announced their intention to build a new stadium in Downtown Detroit. Voters approved a referendum for the project on the 5th of November 1996. The team had moved to the Pontiac Silverdome in 1975 after playing at Tiger Stadium from 1938 to 1939 and 1941 to 1974. By the mid-1990s, city leaders began exploring the possibility of returning to the heart of Detroit. Groundbreaking for the stadium occurred on the 16th of November 1999 as part of a downtown revitalization plan that also included Comerica Park. The Ford Motor Company purchased naming rights for $40 million over 20 years. The Ford family has controlled ownership of the Lions franchise since 1964.

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• 2. Architectural Design

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  The stadium's design incorporates a former Hudson's warehouse which was constructed in the 1920s. This historic building now houses offices for Campbell Ewald and Bodman tenants. The presence of the warehouse allows for a seating arrangement unique among professional American football stadiums. Most suites sit along the southern sideline within the converted warehouse space. Lounges serving premium club seats occupy that same side of the field. Grandstand bulk lines run along the northern sideline and both end-lines with gaps in the upper half at southwest and southeast corners. Unlike most prior domed stadiums, Ford Field allows large amounts of natural light to reach the field through immense skylights and glass windows at open corners. Windows along the ceiling are frosted to mimic automotive factories prevalent in Metro Detroit. The playing field sits below street level similar to adjacent Comerica Park to prevent an overly imposing skyline presence.

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• 3. Super Bowl History

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  Ford Field hosted Super Bowl XL on the 5th of February 2006 as the Pittsburgh Steelers defeated the Seattle Seahawks 21, 10. Sixty-eight thousand two hundred six fans attended this fifth Super Bowl championship win for the Steelers. The game marked the final match in the 13-year career of Jerome Bettis, a Detroit native who played running back for the Steelers. The stadium also served as home to the Little Caesars Pizza Bowl from 2002 until 2013. This event featured top Mid-American Conference teams against Big Ten Conference opponents. The bowl was later replaced by the Quick Lane Bowl and then the GameAbove Sports Bowl backed by the Lions. Ford Field has hosted several neutral site regular season college football games including Western Michigan versus Illinois in 2008 and Michigan State versus Florida Atlantic in 2010. Penn State and Michigan State played a Black Friday game there on the 24th of November 2023 which ended with a 42, 0 victory for Penn State.

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• 4. Multi-Sport Versatility

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  On the 13th of December 2003, seventy-eight thousand one hundred twenty-nine people packed the stadium for the Basketbowl where Kentucky Wildcats defeated Michigan State Spartans 79, 74. This crowd remains the largest ever to attend a basketball game at the venue. The University of Detroit Mercy and Ford Field hosted NCAA tournament regional semifinal and final games on March 28 and 30, 2008. The 2009 Final Four took place April 4 and 6 with Boston College defeating Wisconsin in the championship. For the 2008 tournament, courts were placed in the center of the football field rather than an end zone. This configuration marked the first time used for NCAA Tournament play under new 70,000-seat capacity rules. The 2010 Frozen Four occurred April 8 and 10 resulting in 37,592 attendees making it the largest attendance at a Frozen Four event. Ford Field will host the Final Four again in 2027 on April 3 and 5.

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• 5. Concert Economy

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  The Rolling Stones performed the first concert at the stadium during their Licks Tour. Eminem played two shows July 12 and 13, 2003 drawing 95,709 and 96,707 fans respectively while generating $5,257,000 in revenue. One Direction sold out two nights August 16 and 17, 2014 bringing 92,428 total attendees and $8,304,414 in earnings. Taylor Swift's Reputation Stadium Tour drew 49,464 fans to one show on the 5th of May 2018 with gross receipts of $6,597,852. Beyoncé's Renaissance World Tour on the 10th of November 2023 set a highest-grossing boxscore report for the stadium with 44,554 attendees earning $9,963,756. Metallica's H72 World Tour on November 10 and 12, 2023 brought 128,779 total spectators and generated $13,866,856 in revenue. Garth Brooks' The Garth Brooks Stadium Tour reached 70,000 fans per night during his run there.

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• 6. Cultural Impact

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  On the 1st of April 2007, Ford Field hosted WWE's WrestleMania 23 setting an attendance record of 80,103 fans. This marked the first WrestleMania held in the Detroit area since 1987 when 93,173 fans attended at the Pontiac Silverdome. In 2015, the stadium housed large group gatherings of the ELCA Youth Gathering. On the 18th of November 2017, Ford Field hosted the Beatification Mass of Fr. Solanus Casey drawing near-capacity crowds to one of the largest Catholic masses in Detroit history. The stadium also hosts the MCBA finals where Michigan high school marching bands compete for state titles. It has hosted the MHSAA football state championships since 2005 and individual wrestling state finals in 2018. The venue served as home to the Michigan Panthers of the United Football League from 2023 to 2025 while maintaining its primary role hosting Detroit Lions games with regular seating capacity around 65,000.

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