Detroit is home to four professional U.S. sports teams; it is one of twelve cities in the United States to have teams from the four major North American sports. Since 2017, it is the only U.S. city to have its MLB, NFL, NBA, and NHL teams play within its downtown district (broadly defined) [1] [lower-alpha 1] and one of only four U.S. cities to have said teams play within the city limits of their namesake.
All four teams compete within the city of Detroit. There are three active major sports venues within the city: 41,782-seat Comerica Park (home of the Detroit Tigers), 65,000-seat Ford Field (home of the Detroit Lions), and Little Caesars Arena (home of the Detroit Red Wings and Detroit Pistons). Detroit is known for its avid hockey fans. Interest in the sport has given the city the moniker "Hockeytown." In 2008, the Tigers reported 3.2 million visitors with a 98.6 percent attendance rate. [2]
In college sports, the University of Detroit Mercy has an National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division I program. Wayne State University has a Division II program, and once had Division I teams in men's and women's ice hockey but has since dropped both sports. The NCAA football Quick Lane Bowl is held at Ford Field each December.
Team | League | Sport | Venue (capacity) | Founded | Titles |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Detroit Lions | NFL | American football | Ford Field (65,000) | 1928 | 4 [n 1] |
Detroit Tigers | MLB | Baseball | Comerica Park (41,299) | 1894 | 4 |
Detroit Pistons | NBA | Basketball | Little Caesars Arena (20,491) | 1937 | 3 |
Detroit Red Wings | NHL | Hockey | Little Caesars Arena (19,515) | 1926 | 11 |
On July 12, 2005, Comerica Park hosted that year's Major League Baseball All-Star Game, and Ford Field hosted Super Bowl XL on February 5, 2006. Comerica Park hosted games 1 and 2 of the 2006 World Series, as well as games 3 and 4 of the 2012 World Series.
The Palace held NBA Finals games 3, 4 and 5 in both 2004 and 2005, and also hosted all but two home games of the Detroit Shock (now known as the Dallas Wings) in that franchise's four WNBA Finals appearances while based in the Detroit area (championships in 2003, 2006, and 2008, plus a losing appearance in 2007). The two exceptions were the title-clinching victories in 2006 and 2008, which both took place elsewhere due to scheduling conflicts—Joe Louis Arena in 2006 and the Eastern Michigan University Convocation Center in Ypsilanti in 2008.
In addition, the 2014 NHL Winter Classic was played on January 1, at Michigan Stadium in Ann Arbor. The Alumni Game and college and amateur hockey games were played on an ice surface at Comerica Park.
Detroit was given the name "City of Champions" in the 1930s, for a series of successes both in individual and in team sport. The Detroit Lions won the National Football League championship in 1935. The Detroit Tigers won the American League pennant in 1934 and again in 1935, subsequently winning the World Series in 1935. The Detroit Red Wings won the National Hockey League's Stanley Cup in 1936 and 1937. [3] [4] This meant Detroit featured the defending champions in the NFL, NHL and MLB simultaneously from April 11, 1936 through October 5, 1936. Detroit remains the only city to win three major professional sports championships in the same year and until 2020 the only city to win NHL and NFL titles in the same year (a feat it repeated in 1952).
In individual sports, Gar Wood (a native Detroiter) won the Harmsworth Trophy for unlimited powerboat racing on the Detroit River in 1931. In the following year, Eddie "the Midnight Express" Tolan, a black sprinter who had graduated from Detroit's Cass Technical High School in 1927, won the 100- and 200-meter races and two gold medals at the 1932 Summer Olympics. Boxer Joe Louis, who came to Detroit when he was 12 years old and started his professional career in the city, won the heavyweight championship of the world in 1937.
April 18, 2011 was the 75th anniversary of Champions Day in Michigan. [5]
The following table shows the NCAA Division I and Division II college sports programs in the metro Detroit area:
Team | Division | Conference | Venue | Location |
---|---|---|---|---|
Michigan Wolverines | Division I (FBS) | Big Ten Conference | various, including Michigan Stadium and Crisler Center | Ann Arbor |
Michigan State Spartans | Division I (FBS) | Big Ten Conference | various, including Spartan Stadium, Breslin Student Events Center, and Munn Ice Arena | East Lansing |
Eastern Michigan Eagles | Division I (FBS) | Mid-American Conference | various, including Rynearson Stadium and EMU Convocation Center | Ypsilanti |
Detroit Mercy Titans | Division I | Horizon League | various, including Calihan Hall | Detroit |
Oakland Golden Grizzlies | Division I | Horizon League | various, including Athletics Center O'rena | Rochester |
Wayne State Warriors | Division II | Great Lakes | various, including Wayne State Fieldhouse | Detroit |
There are also numerous small college athletic programs in the Detroit Metro area.
On December 13, 2003, what was then the largest verified crowd in basketball history (78,129) packed Ford Field to watch the University of Kentucky defeat Michigan State University, 79–74. [6] Ford Field hosted the Final Four of the 2009 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament.
The Frozen Four, the term for the semifinals and final of the NCAA Division I Men's Ice Hockey Tournament, was held at Ford Field on April 8 and 10, 2010.
Detroit has bid to host Summer Olympic Games more often than any other city which has not yet hosted, participating in International Olympic Committee elections for the 1944 (placing 3rd, behind bid winner London), 1952 (5th place), 1956 (4th place), 1960 (3rd place), 1964 (2nd place), 1968 (2nd place) and 1972 (4th place) Games.
Oakland Hills Country Club, located in the Detroit suburb of Bloomfield Township, has hosted numerous high-profile golf events. It has hosted the U.S. Open six times, most recently in 1996; the PGA Championship three times, most recently in 2008; the U.S. Senior Open in 1981 and 1991; the U.S. Amateur in 2002; and the Ryder Cup in 2004. The 2034 and 2051 U.S. Open are scheduled for Oakland Hills Country Club.
The Detroit Marathon is also organized annually in the city, usually held in October.
Detroit is home to the Detroit Indy Grand Prix. The race took place on the streets of downtown Detroit from 1982 until 1988, and then from 1989 (when the event switched disciplines from Formula One to Indy cars) at Belle Isle until now. The race was not held from 2002−2006.
The Virginia Slims of Detroit was a WTA Tour women's tennis tournament held from 1972 to 1983, which featured top ranked players such as Margaret Court, Billie Jean King, Chris Evert and Martina Navratilova.
The UFC 9 mixed martial arts event was held at Cobo Arena in 1996 and UFC 123 at the Palace of Auburn Hills in 2010.
The Palace of Auburn Hills held NCAA Division I Wrestling Tournament Finals on March 15–17, 2007.
The Professional Bowlers Association Lumber Liquidators PBA Tour holds the Motor City Classic at Taylor Lanes in the suburb of Taylor.
The suburb of Southfield hosts the annual Gold Cup Polo tournament at Word of Faith International Christian Center, formerly known as Duns Scotus College. [7]
The city hosted the Red Bull Air Race in 2008 on the International Riverfront.
Detroit's Cobo Arena hosted the NCAA Division I men's Indoor Track and Field Championships competition from 1965-1981. The Pontiac Silverdome hosted the event 1982-1983.
Sailboat racing is a major sport in the Detroit area. Lake Saint Clair is home to many yacht clubs which host regattas. Bayview Yacht Club, the Detroit Yacht Club, Crescent Sail Yacht Club, Grosse Pointe Yacht Club, The Windsor Yacht Club, and the Edison Boat Club each participate in and are governed by the Detroit Regional Yacht-Racing Association or DRYA. Detroit is home to many One-Design fleets including North American 40s, Cal 25s, Cuthbertson and Cassian 35s, Crescent Sailboats, Express 27s, J 120s, J 105, and Flying Scots. The Crescent Sailboat, NA-40, and the L boat were designed and built exclusively in Detroit. Detroit also has a very active and competitive junior sailing program.
Since 1904, the city has been home to the American Power Boat Association Gold Cup unlimited hydroplane boat race, held annually on the Detroit River near Belle Isle. [8] Since 1916, the city has been home to Unlimited Hydroplane racing, held annually (with exceptions) on the Detroit River near Belle Isle. Often, the hydroplane boat race is for the APBA Challenge Cup, more commonly known as the Gold Cup (first awarded in 1904, created by Tiffany) which is the oldest active motorsport trophy in the world. [9]
Club | Sport | League | Venue | Location |
---|---|---|---|---|
Detroit Indy Grand Prix | Auto racing | IndyCar Series | Belle Isle Park | Detroit |
Gold Cup | Hydroplane racing | APBA | Detroit River | Detroit |
Club | League | Venue | Founded | Ended | Fate of team | Titles in Detroit |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Detroit Wolverines | National League Baseball | Recreation Park | 1881 | 1888 | Team folded | 1 |
Detroit Lightning | MISL | Cobo Arena | 1979 | 1980 | Team folded | 0 |
Detroit Drive | AFL Arena Football | Joe Louis Arena | 1988 | 1993 | Team folded | 4 |
Detroit Turbos | MILL Indoor Lacrosse | Joe Louis Arena | 1989 | 1994 | Team folded | 1 |
Detroit Rockers | NPSL Indoor Soccer | Joe Louis Arena/ Compuware Arena/ The Palace of Auburn Hills | 1990 | 2001 | Team and League folded | 1 |
Detroit Neon/Safari | CISL Indoor Soccer | The Palace of Auburn Hills | 1994 | 1997 | Team folded | 0 |
Detroit Vipers | IHL Hockey | The Palace of Auburn Hills | 1994 | 2001 | Team and League folded | 1 |
Detroit Fury | AFL Arena Football | The Palace of Auburn Hills | 2001 | 2004 | Team folded | 0 |
Detroit Ignition | MISL/XSL Indoor Soccer | Compuware Arena | 2006 | 2009 | League folded | 1 |
Detroit Cougars | NASL Soccer * | Tiger Stadium | 1968 | 1968 | Team folded | 0 |
Detroit Express | NASL Soccer | Pontiac Silverdome | 1978 | 1981 | Washington Diplomats | 0 |
Detroit Express | ASL Soccer | Pontiac Silverdome | 1981 | 1984 | League folded | 1 |
Detroit Shock | WNBA Basketball | The Palace of Auburn Hills | 1998 | 2009 | Relocated to Tulsa as the Tulsa Shock; relocated again in 2016 as the Dallas Wings | 3 |
Detroit Demolition | WPF Football | Livonia Franklin High School | 2002 | 2011 | Suspended play | 5 |
Michigan Panthers | USFL Football | Pontiac Silverdome | 1983 | 1984 | Merged with the Oakland Invaders | 1 |
Michigan Stags | WHA Hockey | Cobo Arena | 1974 | 1975 | Folded, league took over and became the Baltimore Blades | 0 |
Detroit Wheels | WFL Football | Rynearson Stadium | 1974 | 1974 | Folded | 0 |
Detroit Loves | WTT Tennis | Cobo Arena | 1974 | 1974 | Moved to Indiana | 0 |
Detroit Caesars | APSPL | East Detroit, Memorial Field | 1977 | 1979 | Disbanded | 2 |
Detroit Auto Kings | NASL | East Detroit, Memorial Field | 1980 | 1980 | Disbanded | 0 |
Detroit Softball City | UPSL | Softball City, Detroit | 1982 | 1982 | Disbanded | 0 |
* In 1967, Detroit was selected as one of the cities to adopt a European professional soccer club in a bid to promote the game Stateside. The event was planned to coincide with Europe's off/close season when the teams would have otherwise been dormant for the summer. Detroit was represented by the Northern Irish team Glentoran, playing as the Detroit Cougars. Detroit City FC played in special jerseys as an homage to the cougars in a 2017 International Friendly against Glentoran at Keyworth Stadium on the 50th anniversary of the European club representing the city of Detroit. [10]
The Soul Sisters softball team, an all-female softball team existed in Detroit in 1960s–1980s.
Detroit has one FM radio station broadcasting sports in the metro Detroit area, 97.1 FM WXYT. WJR-AM 760 broadcasts the Michigan State Spartans games and WWJ-AM 950 broadcasts University of Michigan Wolverines games. There are now several sports podcast networks broadcasting daily. The Detroit Sports Podcast Network airs daily sports podcasts and has reporters covering sports all across metro Detroit.
Historically, Detroit was home to its own professional wrestling territory, Big Time Wrestling, from the 1950s until the 1980s. In 2007, Detroit hosted World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE)'s WrestleMania 23 which attracted 80,103 fans to Ford Field on April 1, 2007; the event marking the 20th anniversary of WrestleMania III which drew a reported 93,173 to the Pontiac Silverdome in nearby Pontiac in 1987. WWE has also held three of the annual Survivor Series events in Detroit with the 1991, 1999, and 2005 pay-per-views emanating from Joe Louis Arena, Vengeance 2002, and SummerSlam 2023 at Ford Field. Detroit also hosted the returning Saturday Night's Main Event XXXII on March 18, 2006 and numerous episodes of the weekly Monday Night Raw and SmackDown telecasts since 1994 and 1999, respectively.
Gold Cup may refer to:
Boat racing is a sport in which boats, or other types of watercraft, race on water. Boat racing powered by oars is recorded as having occurred in ancient Egypt, and it is likely that people have engaged in races involving boats and other water-borne craft for as long as such watercraft have existed.
Ford Field is a domed American football stadium located in Downtown Detroit. It primarily serves as the home of the Detroit Lions of the National Football League (NFL), the Michigan Panthers of the United Football League (UFL), the Mid-American Conference championship game, and the annual Quick Lane Bowl college football bowl game, state championship football games for the MHSAA, the MHSAA State Wrestling Championships, and the MCBA Marching Band State Finals, among other events. The regular seating capacity is approximately 65,000, though it is expandable up to 70,000 for football and 80,000 for basketball.
The Pontiac Silverdome was a stadium in Pontiac, Michigan. It opened in 1975 and sat on 199 acres (51 ha) of land. When the stadium opened, it featured a fiberglass fabric roof held up by air pressure, the first use of the architectural technique in a major athletic facility. With a seating capacity of 82,666+, it was the largest stadium in the National Football League (NFL) until FedExField in Landover, Maryland, a suburb of Washington, D.C. expanded its capacity to over 85,000 in 2000.
The Detroit Mercy Titans are the athletic teams of University of Detroit Mercy. The university is a member of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division I. The school primarily competes in the Horizon League, but competes in other conferences for fencing and lacrosse, sports not sponsored for either men or women by the Horizon League. Fencing, a co-ed sport, competes in the Midwest Fencing Conference. Men's lacrosse moved from the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference to the ASUN Conference in July 2021. Women's lacrosse joined the Mid-American Conference for that league's first women's lacrosse season in 2021.
The Great Lakes Invitational (GLI) is a four-team National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) men's ice hockey tournament held annually at Van Andel Arena in Grand Rapids, Michigan, around the New Year's holiday. It was previously held in Detroit as part of College Hockey in the D.
Sports in Chicago include many professional sports teams. Chicago is one of eleven U.S. cities to have teams from the five major American professional team sports. Chicago has been named as the "Best Sports City" by Sporting News three times: 1993, 2006, and 2010.
The Detroit Yacht Club (DYC) is a private yacht club in Detroit, Michigan, located on its own island off of Belle Isle in the Detroit River between the MacArthur Bridge and the DTE generating plant. The DYC clubhouse is a restored 1920s Mediterranean-style villa that is the largest yacht club clubhouse in the United States.
New Orleans is home to a wide variety of sporting events. Most notable are the home games of the New Orleans Saints (NFL) and the New Orleans Pelicans (NBA), the annual Sugar Bowl, the annual Zurich Classic and horse racing at the Fair Grounds Race Course. New Orleans has also occasionally hosted the Super Bowl, College Football Playoff semifinal game and the NCAA college basketball Final Four.
Tom D’Eath is an American hydroplane and racecar driver from Michigan.
The Eastern Michigan Eagles, formerly known as the Normalites and the Hurons, are the athletic teams for Eastern Michigan University in Ypsilanti, Michigan, United States. The Eagles compete in the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) at the Division I level as members of the Mid-American Conference (MAC). The only exception is the women's rowing program, which is a member of the Colonial Athletic Association. Altogether, the Eagles have won three NCAA Division II national championships and 13 NAIA Division I national championships in five different sports ; moreover, EMU has been NCAA Division I national runner-up twice. In 1940, the men's cross country team finished second to Indiana University at the national meet hosted by Michigan State University.
This is a list of sports in Denver, Colorado, United States. Denver is home to many professional sports teams who are based out of Denver and surrounding cities in the metropolitan area. It is also one of the twelve American cities to house a team from each of the U.S. cities with teams from four major league sports. All four of its teams play their home games near downtown with three active sports venues which includes Empower Field at Mile High, home of the Denver Broncos; Ball Arena, home of the Colorado Avalanche and Denver Nuggets; and Coors Field, home of the Colorado Rockies. There is also a Major League Soccer (MLS) team based in the Denver metro area, but they do not play their home games in the city of Denver and is located in nearby Commerce City.
Evansville, Indiana is the home to two minor league professional sports teams and one amateur sports team. The city is also the home to two NCAA collegiate teams, and nine high schools that participate in the Indiana High School Athletic Association. Evansville is also the host to the annual Hoosier Nationals and Demolition City Roller Derby.
The Tampa Bay area is home to many sports teams and has a substantial history of sporting activity. Most of the region's professional sports franchises use the name "Tampa Bay", which is the name of a body of water, not of any city. This is to emphasize that they represent the wider metropolitan area and not a particular municipality and was a tradition started by Tampa's first major sports team, the original Tampa Bay Rowdies, when they were founded in 1975.
The Detroit Hydrofest is a H1 Unlimited hydroplane boat race held in August on the Detroit River in Detroit, Michigan.
The Seafair Cup, is an H1 Unlimited hydroplane boat race held annually in late July and early August on Lake Washington in Seattle, Washington. The race is the main attraction of the annual Seafair festival. Seattle has hosted the Seafair Cup consecutively since 1951. The event was part of the APBA Gold Cup for the following years: 1951 to 1955, 1957 to 1959, 1962, 1965, 1967, 1974, 1981, and 1985.
Little Caesars Arena is a multi-purpose arena in Midtown Detroit. Opening on September 5, 2017, the arena, which cost $862.9 million to construct, replaced Joe Louis Arena and The Palace of Auburn Hills as the home of the Detroit Red Wings of the National Hockey League (NHL) and the Detroit Pistons of the National Basketball Association (NBA), respectively.
Events from the year 1968 in Michigan.