The Lions began as the Portsmouth Spartans, a team from Portsmouth, Ohio, that joined the NFL in 1930 and moved to Detroit in 1934. Since then they have played at a college stadium, the Tigers’ ballpark at Michigan and Trumbull, a domed stadium in suburban Pontiac and, since 2002, Ford Field in downtown Detroit.
Here is every home in order, including the back-and-forth between the University of Detroit’s stadium and Briggs Stadium in the late 1930s, with what made each one matter and what stands on the site today. Stadiums we’ve written guides for link to the full guide.
Every Lions Stadium, 1930 to Today
- Portsmouth
- 1930–1933
Universal Stadium
Home of the Portsmouth Spartans, the franchise that became the Lions, through their first four NFL seasons. Amid financial struggles the team moved to Detroit in 1934 and was renamed the Lions.
Today: Still standing as Spartan Municipal Stadium, used for high school football; an Ohio historical site since 2003
- Detroit
- 1934–1937
University of Detroit Stadium
The first Detroit home, on the University of Detroit campus. The Lions won the 1935 NFL Championship Game here, beating the New York Giants 26–7.
1938–1939The Tigers' ballpark at Michigan and Trumbull, then called Briggs Stadium. The Lions moved in for 1938 and 1939, still playing a few early-season games at the campus stadium.
Stadium history →- 1940
University of Detroit Stadium
A one-season return to the campus stadium in 1940, before the Lions settled at Briggs Stadium for good.
Today: Demolished in 1971; the site became a university parking lot
- 1941–1974
Thirty-four more seasons at The Corner, renamed Tiger Stadium in 1961. It hosted the 1953 and 1957 NFL Championship Games, both Lions wins. The last Lions game was on Thanksgiving Day 1974.
Today: Demolished in 2009; the old field is now the Corner Ballpark, used for youth sports
Stadium history → - Pontiac
1975–2001Opened in 1975 with an air-supported fabric roof, the first in a major stadium, and the NFL's largest stadium until 2000. It hosted Super Bowl XVI. The last Lions game was played on January 6, 2002.
Today: Demolished in 2017–18; an Amazon distribution and delivery center now stands on the site
Stadium history →- Detroit
- 2002–presentCurrent home
Opened in 2002 in downtown Detroit, the first time the Lions had played in the city since 1974. A 1920s Hudson's warehouse forms its south side. It hosted Super Bowl XL in 2006.
Visiting guide →
Lions Stadium FAQ
Where did the Lions play before Ford Field?
At the Pontiac Silverdome, from 1975 through the 2001 season. Before that they played at Tiger Stadium (called Briggs Stadium until 1961) from 1941 to 1974, and in their early Detroit years they split time between Briggs and the University of Detroit Stadium.
How many stadiums have the Lions had?
Five: Universal Stadium in Portsmouth, Ohio, the University of Detroit Stadium, Tiger Stadium, the Pontiac Silverdome and Ford Field. Counting the 1940 season back at the University of Detroit, that is seven stints.
Where did the Lions win their NFL championships?
The 1935 title game was played at the University of Detroit Stadium, where the Lions beat the New York Giants 26–7. Briggs Stadium hosted the 1953 and 1957 NFL Championship Games, both Lions wins. Their other title, in 1952, came with a 17–7 win over the Cleveland Browns.
Is the Pontiac Silverdome still standing?
No. The stadium closed for good in 2013, was demolished between December 2017 and March 2018, and Amazon opened a distribution and delivery center on the site in 2020 and 2021. Tiger Stadium was torn down in 2008–09, though its field survives as the Corner Ballpark. Universal Stadium in Portsmouth, now Spartan Municipal Stadium, is still in use.
Where do the Lions play now?
At Ford Field in downtown Detroit, which opened in 2002 and seats about 65,000 for football. It brought the Lions back to the city for the first time since 1974 and hosted Super Bowl XL in 2006.