DETROIT, MI

Picture this—it’s 2006 and Jerome Bettis, a Detroit native, hoists the Vince Lombardi Trophy at Ford Field for the Pittsburgh Steelers, celebrating his first and only Super Bowl championship, finishing his career.

WHOLESOME: Joey Porter held back the entire #Steelers team.. while Jerome Bettis ran out of the tunnel pregame of the Super Bowl.

Jerome’s final career game ended with a Super Bowl victory in his hometown…

Special 🥹
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— MLFootball (@_MLFootball) November 28, 2024

Ford Field was a mere 5+ year old stadium. A month later, it would host the Sweet 16 and Elite 8 rounds of the NCAA Men’s Basketball tournament. From it unfolded a star in the making, Davidson Wildcat guard Stephen Curry as he wowed fans and ultimately fell in the Elite 8.

March 28, 2008: Stephen Curry scores 33 points to lead Davidson over Wisconsin 73-56 in the Sweet 16.
pic.twitter.com/NL589Fup9L

— This Day In Sports Clips (@TDISportsClips) March 29, 2024

Fast forward now to 2024 and since then, it’s been almost exclusively college events in the Detroit area with the ONLY major pro event being the 2024 NFL draft this past summer.

Detroit took the country and football fans alike by storm and delivered an epic multi-day event.

However, looking back to the beginning of the 2000s, it is time to bring to the elephant in the room; we are talking about the major void of professional and college All-Star or Championship games in Detroit. For the sake of argument, we will be discounting PGA/USGA events held as they can be chosen from a healthier pool of courses than venues in Detroit.

Before getting into the nitty gritty, let’s take a brief look at what IS upcoming after the Detroit Sports Commission formally put in for a dozen events across seven sports in 2020 (discounting this past year’s 2024 Men’s NCAAB Sweet 16/Elite 8). November 2024, Ford Field was awarded the Men’s NCAAB Final Four in 2027…AND THAT’S IT. Sure, there have been some others in various NCAA sports but nothing to the magnitude of March Madness and all well outside of the Detroit area. Additionally, Detroit WAS the 2020 NCAA Men’s Hockey Frozen Four but lost it due to COIVD-19 pandemic and was denied a replacement bid through 2026.

COMERICA PARK (Opened in 2000)

Moving from the corner of Michigan & Trumball after 87 years (1912-1999), the new home of the Detroit Tigers hosted the 2005 All-Star Game and its festivities that found future Hall-of-Famer, Ivan “Pudge” Rodriguez selected to represent Detroit. To this day, there has been no known talk for another, through 2026, marking 22 years of the Mid-Summer Classic absence in Motown.

Comerica has had more recent renovations prior to this winter which saw an upgrade in quality and size to the main scoreboard and improved secondary lighting around the stadium. As for current constructions: the club decided to move the fences in and around, adding in more seats for VIP seating starting in 2025. Additionally, the stadium received largely positive and warm reviews from baseball enthusiasts looking to complete their MLB stadium bucket list and those independently working in social media, throughout 2024 season.

FORD FIELD (Opened in 2002)

William Clay Ford Sr. made the decision to move his Detroit Lions from Pontiac, MI (northwestern suburbs) in 2001 and relocate to a brand new, state-of-the-art stadium in downtown Detroit. As a result, the NFL awarded the aforementioned 2006 Super Bowl game that saw the Steelers defeat the Arizona Cardinals with Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers perform.

Since then, the stadium has hosted contracted events like the annual NCAAF bowl game The GameAbove Sports (previously known as the Motor City Bowl and Pizza Pizza Bowl) which is on its 10th consecutive year, the UFL Michigan Panthers of recent with the big announcement of hosting the NCAA Men’s BB Final Four rounds in 2027, first time since 2009. However, not a single NCAAF playoff game through 2026. If this venue is good enough for a Super Bowl, how come not any College Football Playoff location with the expansion?

But where’s the second Super Bowl bid?

-New Orleans is hosting in 2025, second in 13 years with TEN in total through 2025 since 1970 and five since 1990.

– Tampa Bay has hosted three since 2000 but two (2009 and 2021) since Detroit’s first. The stadium is due for modern renovations

-Atlanta will be hosting its first in Mercedes-Benz stadium in 2028 after opening in 2017 (1994 and 2000) and is expected to be on a regular list for repeat nominations based on multiple news outlets and sports writers.

-California will have its third this decade with 2026 and 2027 back-to-back and their fourth since 2016.

In short, NFL—IT’S TIME. Forget the weather, Detroit has proven its ability to host, entertain and provide quality experiences to fans globally.

LITTLE CAESARS ARENA (Opened in 2017)

The new home of the Detroit Pistons and Red Wings has seen a pair of NCAAB Men’s tournament bids including 2024’s weekend prior the Final Four, the annual NCAA Men’s Hockey Duel in the D, but lost the bigger Great Lakes Invitational to Van Andel Arena in Grand Rapides after 2021.

However, nothing for the NHL All-Star game in 7 seasons with the University of Michigan selected for the 2013 Winter Classic with the Red Wings with zero picks through 2028. That will tally 11 years and counting void of seeing the NHL’s best but more staggering—48 years since Detroit’s last in 1980 at Joe Louis Arena (Gordie Howe’s last appearance in Detroit).

Aside from the NHL, LCA largely hosts college events and concerts as it seats fewer than Ford Field and Comerica Park by sizeable margins. However, if hockey was the original design (prior to the Pistons jumping into co-habitat), the NHL has failed miserably to promote one of the newest arenas in the sport. Considering the draw from Windsor, Toronto and other hockey hotbeds in Minnesota and Wisconsin, I am genuinely baffled. Not to mention, the state of Michigan currently has 3 of the top 10 NCAA Hockey teams in Division 1.  That, is solely on Commissioner Gary Bettman.

As for NBA, The Palace of Auburn Hills never saw a SINGLE All-Star game in its time while having been raved the most modern, multi-faceted facility in the country, upon its opening. With that in mind, why would be expecting anything at LCA? No bids through 2026, giving 9 years and counting and none in the state since 1979–when they shared the Pontiac Silverdome with the Lions.

Detroit’s Future on the Grand Stage

I’m hopeful that the city of Detroit and state of Michigan will see a respectable increase in major events like the Super Bowl, MLB & NHL All-Star Games as well as NCAA College Football Playoffs along with additional NCAAB March Madness rounds. The venues and upgrades are there, plenty of entertainment within 25-30 minutes of downtown and adequate lodging. Sure, the transportation is still an improvement in progress, but for a major city and mostly major market organizations to have the buzz around the Detroit Lions, Red Wings and Tigers and not even have an opportunity to show the country and world what we’re capable of is rather disingenuous given the blue-collar, nose-to-the-grindstone type of attitude that is bread out of Michiganders.

So, I ask again—Where is the Love to Detroit? Stay tuned.