University of Detroit Stadium opened in 1922 on the university’s McNichols campus in Detroit, Michigan, built to give the Detroit Titans football program a permanent home. Also known as Titan Stadium or Dinan Field, the natural-grass venue held up to 25,000 fans and quickly became one of the city’s busiest gridirons, hosting college football alongside stretches of NFL action.
Beyond the Titans, the stadium’s tenant list reads like a tour of Detroit’s pro sports past: the NFL’s Detroit Wolverines in 1928 and the Detroit Lions through much of the mid-to-late 1930s, plus later stints for Wayne University’s Tartars and short-lived pro soccer and football clubs in the late 1960s. The university dropped football after the 1964 season, and the stadium was torn down in 1971, with the site eventually paved over for parking.
- Detroit Lions played here 1934–1937 and 1940. See every Lions stadium →
Stats at a Glance
- Team(s): Detroit Titans (NCAA), Detroit Lions (NFL)
- Location: Detroit, Michigan
- Opened: 1922
- Closed: 1964 (football); demolished 1971
- Capacity: About 25,000
- Notable event: Hosted the 1935 NFL Championship Game
A Campus Stadium with NFL Weight
Built for the Detroit Titans on the university’s McNichols Road campus, the stadium quickly outgrew its collegiate role. The Detroit Lions used it as their home field for much of the mid-to-late 1930s, and in 1935 the stadium hosted the NFL Championship Game, where the Lions beat the New York Giants 26-7 behind Hall of Famer Dutch Clark.
That championship remains the stadium’s signature claim to fame — a small campus venue briefly standing in as the biggest stage in pro football.
From Titan Football to Parking Lot
The Titans played there every season from 1922 until the university cut the football program after 1964, citing financial strain. The stadium lingered a few more years hosting Wayne State’s Tartars, a short-lived pro soccer club, and a Continental Football League team before it was finally demolished in 1971.
Today nothing of the structure remains; the former gridiron became an automobile parking lot on the University of Detroit Mercy campus.
Explore more: Explore more historic stadiums.
Bleachers for three hours, but with back support. Folds flat and clips to the bench.
For upper-deck seats. Watch line play at the stadium, or the far side of the park from the top of a lift hill.
Sherpa-lined and windproof, with a waterproof back for wet bleachers. Folds into its own pouch.
University of Detroit Stadium FAQs
Does University of Detroit Stadium still exist?
No. It was demolished in 1971 after the University of Detroit ended its football program in 1964, and the site became a parking lot.
What NFL team played at University of Detroit Stadium?
The Detroit Lions played home games there for much of the mid-to-late 1930s, including hosting the 1935 NFL Championship Game, which they won over the New York Giants.
How many fans could the stadium hold?
It had a peak capacity of about 25,000 spectators.
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Photo: Unknown authorUnknown author / Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons.