Ford Field is a domed stadium in Detroit, Michigan, United States. It is mainly used as the home for the Detroit Lions, a team in the National Football League (NFL). The stadium also hosts the Mid-American Conference championship game, the annual state football championships for the MHSAA, the MHSAA State Wrestling Championships, and the MCBA Marching Band State Finals, along with other events. From 2023 to 2025, it was also the home of the Michigan Panthers, a team in the United Football League (UFL). The stadium has a regular seating capacity of about 65,000 people, but it can be expanded to hold up to 70,000 for football games and 80,000 for basketball games.

The naming rights for Ford Field were bought by the Ford Motor Company for $40 million over 20 years. The Ford family owns a majority share in the company and has owned the Lions franchise since 1964.

History

In 1975, the Lions moved to the Pontiac Silverdome after playing at Tiger Stadium from 1938 to 1939 and again from 1941 to 1974. In the mid-1990s, the team considered returning to Detroit to build a new stadium. On August 20, 1996, the Lions said they wanted to build a new stadium in Downtown Detroit. On November 5, 1996, voters agreed to a referendum for the stadium.

Groundbreaking for the stadium happened on November 16, 1999, as part of a plan to improve downtown Detroit, which also included Comerica Park.

Design

The stadium’s design uses a former Hudson’s warehouse built in the 1920s. This warehouse was changed into office space and now has Campbell Ewald and Bodman as tenants.

The warehouse helps create a special seating layout found in few professional football stadiums. Most of the suites are located in the warehouse along the stadium’s southern sideline, as are the lounges for premium club seats on that side. Most of the grandstand seats are along the northern sideline and both end-lines, with empty spaces in the upper part of the stadium at the southwest and southeast corners. The upper deck on the northern sideline also includes one level of suites and a smaller area for club seating. A similar design was used at the renovated Soldier Field, but that stadium built a new structure to house four levels of suites instead of using an existing building.

Unlike many older domed stadiums, Ford Field allows a lot of natural light to reach the field. This is because of large skylights and glass windows at the open corners. The windows are frosted to look like those in car factories common in Metro Detroit. The south entrance lets sunlight into the seating area and concourse all year and gives fans a view of downtown Detroit. To keep the stadium from looking too large in the Detroit skyline, the playing field is 45 feet (14 m) below street level, similar to the design at nearby Comerica Park.

Ford Field is one of the few NFL venues with end zones on the east and west sides. There are no NFL rules about how stadiums should be built in roofed venues regarding sunlight affecting players. The east–west end zone layout was chosen to fit the location of the Hudson warehouse. Natural light does not distract players during day games because it only reaches the sidelines, while the field remains properly lit by a mix of artificial stadium lights and sunlight.

In 2017, Ford Field had its first major renovation. The $100 million project included new video screens, a new sound system, updated suites, and improvements to several restaurants, clubs, and bars on the property.

Major events

Ford Field hosted Super Bowl XL on February 5, 2006. The Pittsburgh Steelers defeated the Seattle Seahawks 21–10 to win their fifth Super Bowl championship. The game had 68,206 people in attendance. It was also the final game of the 13-year career for Steelers running back Jerome Bettis, a Detroit native.

Ford Field was the home of the Little Caesars Pizza Bowl, a college football game sponsored by Detroit-based Little Caesars. The event was previously called the Motor City Bowl and was jointly sponsored by Chrysler, Ford, and General Motors. It took place from 2002 to 2013 and featured teams from the Mid-American Conference (MAC) and the Big Ten Conference. The Little Caesars Pizza Bowl was replaced by the Quick Lane Bowl (later known as the GameAbove Sports Bowl) in 2014. Ford Field also hosted the annual MAC Football Championship Game since 2004.

Ford Field has hosted several college football games that were not held at a team’s home field. Examples include Western Michigan vs. Illinois in 2008 and Michigan State vs. Florida Atlantic in 2010. A game between Central Michigan and Western Michigan was scheduled for October 17, 2020, but the season was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Penn State and Michigan State played a regular season game at Ford Field on November 24, 2023, which was televised by NBC. Penn State won 42–0. Michigan State also played a game at Ford Field against Maryland on November 29, 2025.

On December 13, 2010, the Minnesota Vikings played a home game at Ford Field against the New York Giants after the roof of the Vikings’ original stadium collapsed due to heavy snow. This was the first regular season Monday night game at Ford Field and one of the few times a team played an unofficial home game at another team’s stadium. The Detroit Lions hosted their first Monday Night Football game at Ford Field on October 10, 2011, against the Chicago Bears.

A Buffalo Bills game against the New York Jets was moved to Ford Field on November 24, 2014, after a snowstorm damaged the Bills’ stadium. The Bills won 38–3. A similar situation occurred on November 20, 2022, when the Bills’ game against the Cleveland Browns was also moved to Ford Field. The Bills won 31–23.

On December 3, 2015, Ford Field was the site of the "Miracle in Motown." In the final play of the game between the Lions and Green Bay Packers, Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers threw a 61-yard Hail Mary pass that was caught by tight end Richard Rodgers for a game-winning touchdown. The Packers won 27–23. This play is the longest game-winning Hail Mary in NFL history, according to the Elias Sports Bureau.

The Detroit Lions hosted their first playoff game at Ford Field on January 14, 2024, against the Los Angeles Rams. The Lions won 24–23. They hosted their second playoff game at Ford Field on January 21, 2024, against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. The Lions won 31–23.

On December 13, 2003, Ford Field hosted the largest basketball crowd ever, with 78,129 people attending the Basketbowl. Kentucky defeated Michigan State 79–74.

Ford Field hosted the 2008 NCAA basketball tournament regional semifinal and final games and the 2009 Final Four. For the 2008 tournament, the court was placed in the center of the football field, a new configuration for NCAA play. Ford Field will host the Final Four again in 2027.

The 2010 Frozen Four hockey championship was held at Ford Field. Boston College defeated Wisconsin to win the title. This was the first time a football stadium hosted the Frozen Four.

Ford Field has hosted the MHSAA football state championships since 2005 and the MHSAA individual wrestling state finals in 2018. It also hosts the MCBA finals, where Michigan high school marching bands compete.

Ford Field hosted two group stage matches of the 2011 CONCACAF Gold Cup soccer tournament. Panama played Guadeloupe, and the United States played Canada.

In 2016, Dan Gilbert and Tom Gores proposed a bid for a Major League Soccer expansion team. They considered building a new stadium in Detroit or retrofitting Ford Field with a retractable roof. However, they decided not to proceed with the plan in 2018.

Ford Field hosted the Professional Bull Riders’ Built Ford Tough Series for the first time in 2012. It also hosts Monster Jam Monster Truck races and AMA Supercross Championship events.

On April 1, 2007, Ford Field hosted WWE’s WrestleMania 23, setting an attendance record of 80,103. WWE returned to Ford Field for SummerSlam in 2023.

Ford Field hosted the Society for Academic Emergency Medicine (SAEM) Midwest Regional in 2007 and 2014. It also hosted the ELCA Youth Gathering in 2015 and the Beatification Mass of Fr. Solanus Casey in 2017.

Ford Field hosted the FIRST Championship in 2018 and 2019 alongside the Cobo Center. The 2020 event was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Photo gallery

• A broad view of Ford Field before a Detroit Lions game.
• Ford Field lets natural light pass through gray translucent roof panels.
• Before the 2006 MAC Championship game.
• Ford Field’s playing surface.
• 2006 MAC Championship: Central Michigan vs. Ohio.
• Aerial view of Ford Field.
• Thousands wait to enter Ford Field for WrestleMania 23 on April 1, 2007.
• A record of 80,103 fans at Ford Field for WrestleMania 23.
• WrestleMania 23 stage at Ford Field.
• Ford Field on Super Bowl XL Sunday, countdown to kickoff on Comerica Park’s scoreboard.
• Exterior of Ford Field in 2015.
• Before the 2018 Minnesota Vikings vs. Detroit Lions game.