Sports in Detroit facts
Kids Encyclopedia Facts

Detroit, Michigan is home to four professional American sports teams. It is one of twelve cities in the United States to have teams from the four major North American sports.

All but one of the area's 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 baseball team Detroit Tigers), 65,000-seat Ford Field (home of the football team Detroit Lions), and 20,066-seat Joe Louis Arena (home of the ice hockey team Detroit Red Wings). The last of these will be replaced by Little Caesars Arena starting with the 2017–18 NHL season. Detroit is known for its avid hockey fans. Interest in the sport has given the city the moniker "Hockeytown." In 2008, the Detroit Tigers at Comerica Park reported 3.2 million visitors with a 98.6 percent attendance rate.

The area's other major venue is The Palace of Auburn Hills, in the suburban community of Auburn Hills. This 22,076-seat arena is home to the Detroit Pistons of the NBA. It was also home to the WNBA's Detroit Shock from the team's formation in 1998 until its move to Tulsa, Oklahoma after the 2009 season (the team has since moved again and is now known as the Dallas Wings). The Palace of Auburn Hills will be replaced by Little Caesars Arena in downtown Detroit starting with the 2017-18 NBA season.

In college sports, the University of Detroit Mercy and Oakland University have National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division I programs. Wayne State University has both NCAA Division I and II programs. The NCAA football Motor City Bowl is held at Ford Field each December. In addition, the sports teams of the University of Michigan are located in Ann Arbor, within an hour's drive of much of the Detroit metropolitan area.

Renaissance Center during Super Bowl XL.

Events

Annual Gold Cup Polo tournament - held at Word of Faith in Southfield.

Comerica Park 2007

Ford Field next to Comerica Park.

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 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 sanction moved from Formula One to IndyCars) 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 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.

The city hosted the Red Bull Air Race in 2008 on the International Riverfront.

Water sports

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. 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.

Former teams

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

^* 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.