University of Detroit Stadium

Last updated
University of Detroit Stadium
University of Detroit Stadium
Location Detroit, Michigan, U.S.
Coordinates 42°24′57″N83°08′12″W / 42.4158°N 83.1368°W / 42.4158; -83.1368
Owner University of Detroit
Capacity 25,000
SurfaceNatural grass
Construction
Opened 1922
Closed 1964 (football)
Demolished1971
Tenants
Detroit Titans (NCAA) 1922–1964
Detroit Wolverines (NFL) 1928
Detroit Lions (NFL) 1934–1937, 1940
Wayne Tartars (NCAA) 1944–1953
Detroit Cougars (USA) 1967–1968
Michigan Arrows (CFL) 1968
English Blitz Scouts at the stadium in 1942 Blitz Scouts in Detroit.jpg
English Blitz Scouts at the stadium in 1942
The University of Detroit's athletic field in 2008 UDMathlecticfield infront of Calihan Hall.jpg
The University of Detroit's athletic field in 2008

University of Detroit Stadium, also known as U of D Stadium, Titan Stadium, or Dinan Field, was an outdoor athletic stadium in the north central United States, located on the campus of the University of Detroit in Detroit, Michigan. The stadium opened in 1922, on land that had been acquired for the university's proposed new McNichols campus (the university moved its main campus there in 1927).

Contents

The primary tenant was the University of Detroit Titans football team, who played their home games there from the time it opened until the university dropped the program, following the 1964 season.

Location

The stadium stood on 6 Mile Road (later also known as McNichols Road) just west of Fairfield Street at the northeast corner of the campus. The field was aligned north-south, with grandstands on the east and west sidelines, encircled by a running track. It had a seating capacity of 25,000 at its peak.[ citation needed ]

In addition to football, it was also used for track meets, concerts, and other university-related and public events. One rather unusual aspect of the stadium were its lighting towers, which stood between the stands and the field, which was at an approximate elevation of 650 feet (200 m) above sea level.[ citation needed ]

Tenants

University of Detroit Stadium was the home field for the NFL's Detroit Lions from 1934 to 1937, and again in 1940. [1] The Lions also played several early season home games there in 1938 and 1939. [2] The stadium was also home to the Detroit Wolverines for their only NFL season in 1928. [2] U of D stadium was the site of the 1935 NFL Championship Game, won by the Lions over the New York Giants, 26–7. [3]

The Wayne Tartars football team often played home games here from 1944 to 1953 before moving into Tartar Field in 1954.

The Detroit Cougars professional soccer club played several games here in the summers of 1967 and 1968 whenever their regular home field, Tiger Stadium had a scheduling conflict. One such match in 1967 against the Houston Stars ended in an infamous player riot on June 14. [4] [5] [6] [7] [8]

The Michigan Arrows of the fledgling Continental Football League used the stadium (which then had a capacity of 20,000) for the 1968 season. Unfortunately, the Arrows drew just 4,240 fans per game en route to a 1-11 season. The Arrows moved to Midland to become the Tri-City Apollos in 1969, then folded with the rest of the league.

Demolition

The stadium was demolished 53 years ago in 1971 and was replaced by a parking lot.[ citation needed ] For many years thereafter, the stadium's lighting towers remained standing in order to provide lighting for the lot. The location is currently occupied by a multi-purpose synthetic turf field north of Calihan Hall. The stadium's natural grass field had a similar north-south alignment, but was approximately 300 feet (90 m) southwest.[ citation needed ]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tiger Stadium (Detroit)</span> Demolished stadium in Detroit

Tiger Stadium, previously known as Navin Field and Briggs Stadium, was a multi-use stadium located in the Corktown neighborhood of Detroit, Michigan, United States. The stadium was nicknamed "The Corner" for its location at the intersection of Michigan and Trumbull Avenues. It hosted the Detroit Tigers of Major League Baseball (MLB) from 1912 to 1999, as well as the Detroit Lions of the National Football League (NFL) from 1938 to 1974. Tiger Stadium was declared a State of Michigan Historic Site in 1975 and was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1989.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">San Diego Stadium</span> Former multi-purpose stadium in San Diego, California

San Diego Stadium was a multi-purpose stadium in San Diego, California. Opened in 1967 as San Diego Stadium; it was renamed Jack Murphy Stadium for sportswriter Jack Murphy from 1981 to 1997. From 1997 to 2017, the stadium's naming rights were owned by Qualcomm; it was known as Qualcomm Stadium. The naming rights expired on June 14, 2017, and were purchased by San Diego County Credit Union, renaming the stadium to SDCCU Stadium on September 19, 2017; those naming rights expired in December 2020. Demolition of San Diego Stadium began in December 2020; its last freestanding section was felled on March 22, 2021.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Continental Football League</span> Professional American football league (1965–1969)

The Continental Football League (COFL) was a professional American football minor league that operated in North America from 1965 through 1969. It was established following the collapse of the original United Football League, and hoped to become the major force in professional football outside the National Football League (NFL) and the American Football League (AFL). It owed its name, at least in part, to the Continental League, a proposed third Major League Baseball organization that influenced MLB significantly, although they never played a game.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Robertson Stadium</span> Former American football stadium in Houston

John O'Quinn Field at Corbin J. Robertson Stadium was a multi-purpose stadium in Houston, located on the campus of the University of Houston. It was the home of the Houston Cougars football and women's soccer teams. The stadium was the first home for the Houston Dynamo of Major League Soccer from 2006 to 2011, as well as the first home of the American Football League's Houston Oilers from 1960 to 1964.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Harry Wismer</span> American sports broadcaster

Harry Wismer was an American sports broadcaster and the charter owner of the New York Titans franchise in the American Football League (AFL).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Atlanta Chiefs</span> American professional soccer team based in Atlanta, Georgia

The Atlanta Chiefs were an American professional soccer team based in Atlanta, Georgia. The team competed in the National Professional Soccer League (NPSL) in 1967 and the North American Soccer League (NASL) from 1968 to 1973 and again from 1979 to 1981. For the 1973 season, the team played as the Atlanta Apollos.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Detroit Cougars (soccer)</span> Former American soccer team

The Detroit Cougars were an American professional soccer team based out of Detroit, Michigan that was a charter member of the United Soccer Association (USA) in 1967. When the USA and rival National Professional Soccer League (NPSL) merged in 1968 to form the North American Soccer League (NASL), the team moved to the new league. The Cougars played its home matches at the University of Detroit Stadium for the 1967 USA season and at Tiger Stadium for the 1968 NASL season, except when scheduling conflicts with the Detroit Tigers forced the team to play at the University of Detroit Stadium. The team folded at the conclusion of the 1968 NASL season.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Atwood Stadium</span> Stadium in the United States

Atwood Stadium is an 11,000-seat stadium owned by Kettering University. It is located in the historic Carriage Town district area of downtown Flint, Michigan. In 2019 it became the home field for the Flint City Bucks, a soccer club that competes in USL League Two, as well as Powers Catholic High School. The annual Vehicle City Gridiron Classic also opens the high school football season at Atwood Stadium, with six to eight teams competing each season. The Flint Institute of Music hosts an annual Independence Day concert in the stadium, which is coordinated with Flint's fireworks display, which is launched from the Chevy Commons park, located to the south immediately across the Flint River from the stadium.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sports in Chicago</span>

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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sports in Detroit</span>

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 and one of only four U.S. cities to have said teams play within the city limits of their namesake.

Evangel Christian Academy is a private, Christian school in Shreveport, Louisiana with two campuses spanning grades K-12. It is owned & operated privately in association with Shreveport Community Church which is located on the property of the grade school sister campus.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Meadowbrook High School (Chesterfield County, Virginia)</span> Public school in North Chesterfield, Virginia, United States

Meadowbrook High School is a high school located in Chesterfield County, Virginia. The school is home to an International Baccalaureate Program and Meadowbrook's Academy for Developing Entrepreneurs (M.A.D.E.). The school has one of the most diverse student bodies in the state and region with students representing over 60 nations.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pflugerville High School</span> Public high school in Pflugerville, Texas, United States

Pflugerville High School is a public high school located in Pflugerville, Texas.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sports in the Tampa Bay area</span> Overview of sports opportunities in the Tampa Bay area

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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sports in St. Louis</span>

The city of St. Louis, Missouri, in the United States is home to more than a dozen professional, semi-professional, and collegiate sports teams. The Sporting News rated St. Louis the nation's "Best Sports City" in 2000 and the Wall Street Journal named it the best sports city in 2015.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Alumni Field (York University)</span>

Alumni Field is an outdoor football, rugby and soccer stadium located at York University's Keele Campus in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It is the former home of the York Lions. The stadium was known as York Stadium prior to 2017. The Toronto Arrows split its home games at Alumni Field and Lamport Stadium during its inaugural 2019 Major League Rugby season.

DU Stadium, sometimes referred to as Hilltop Stadium, was a stadium in the western United States, located on the campus of the University of Denver in Denver, Colorado. Built 98 years ago in 1926, the crescent-shaped main grandstand design on the west sideline was based on other similar-sized stadiums from the same time period, Brown Stadium and Cornell's Schoellkopf Field, both in the Ivy League.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Detroit Titans football</span> University of Detroit team, 1896 to 1964

The Detroit Titans were the college football team which represented the University of Detroit from 1896 to 1964. The team posted an undefeated season in 1928, staking a claim to a national title. The program was terminated in 1964 for financial reasons.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Houston Oilers</span> Former American football club in Houston, Texas, USA, from 1960 to 1996

The Houston Oilers were a professional American football team that played in Houston, Texas from its founding in 1960 to 1996. The Houston Oilers began play as a charter member of the American Football League (AFL) and won two AFL championships before joining the NFL in the AFL–NFL merger of the late 1960s.

The Tri-City Apollos were a professional American football team based in Midland, Michigan.

References

  1. "Ballparks". MLB.com . MLB Advanced Media. From 1934 (the beginning of the Lions) through 1937, the football team's home was at the University of Detroit Stadium, a facility that they returned to for one season in 1940.
  2. 1 2 "University of Detroit Stadium History". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved 2023-05-12.
  3. "Championship - New York Giants at Detroit Lions - December 15th, 1935". Pro-Football-Reference.com.
  4. "Baltimore Afro-American - Google News Archive Search". news.google.com.
  5. "The Infamous 1967 Detroit Riot… on the Soccer Field – the Soccer Observer". Archived from the original on 2014-03-14. Retrieved 2014-04-01.
  6. "The Evening Independent - Google News Archive Search". news.google.com.
  7. "SUMMER WITH THE COUGARS". IBWM. 16 February 2014.
  8. "Detroit Cougars (1967-1968)". Archived from the original on July 20, 2012.
Preceded by Home of the
Detroit Lions

1934–1937
Succeeded by