Beyond championship teams like the Detroit Pistons and Red Wings, Detroit’s passion for sports and ability to host big events make it a championship event city. This includes the World Cup of Soccer, the MLB All-Star Game, Super Bowl XL, the Buick Open and the Ryder Cup. With numerous state-of-the-art sports facilities and more than 35,000 hotel rooms at competitive prices, the city of Detroit can host large-scale championship events.
The Steelers weren’t the only champions during Super Bowl XL. The city of Detroit and Ford Field played host to the incredible event, which ended with the Pittsburgh Steelers 21-10 victory over the Seattle Seahawks. The Rolling Stones rocked the halftime show, which has become a show in itself. Motown made its presence known before halftime with a performance by Stevie Wonder, who was joined onstage by Joss Stone, India Arie and Grammy-nominated artist John Legend. Aaron Nevill and Aretha Franklin were joined by Dr. John during the National Anthem. In preparation for Super Bowl XL, Detroit officials attended dozens of public and private events in San Diego during the 2005 Super Bowl. The game was attended by more than 68,000 spectators and provided a $273.9 million boost to the Detroit economy. Detroit.
NCAA March Madness comes to Detroit in 2008 at Ford Field. The Sweet Sixteen and Elite Eight games will be the first Regional Games to be played in the city of Detroit and will determine one of four teams that will advance to the Men’s Final Four in San Antonio, Texas. The University of Detroit will be the NCAA host school for the Midwest Regionals. Games at Ford Field are expected to eclipse the all-time attendance record for NCAA Regional Games. The current attendance record for a single regional game is over 42,500, set in 1999 at the Trans World Dome in St. Louis. The BasketBowl at Ford Fiend, which featured Michigan State vs. Kentucky in a regular season game in 2003, holds the 2003 NCAA attendance record for a single game at over 78,000.
Comerica Park, built for the Detroit Tigers, is located next to Ford Field. In 2005, Comerica Park hosted the 76th MLB All-Star Game, the first to be held in Detroit since 1971. This was followed in the fall of 2006 by the first World Series game in the stadium’s history. (2006 World Series Game 1). ). The well-recognized sporting venue is marked by a 15-foot tiger statue, as well as other heroic-sized tiger statues throughout the park.
Both Ford Field and Comerica Park are located in the heart of downtown Detroit’s entertainment district, making them ideal venues for major sporting events. Visitors have access to numerous restaurants, theaters, games, and other entertainment options.
In 2004, the PGA of America announced that the Oakland Hills Country Club would host the Ryder Cup, the prestigious golf competition between the United States and Europe. The Oakland Hills South Course is world renowned and consistently ranks in the top ten golf tests in the United States. The Europe team won the championship during the 2004 Ryder Cup. In August 2008, Oakland Hills will host the PGA Championship.
Home of the Buick Open, Warwick Hills Golf and Country Club hosts Michigan’s only annual PGA tournament. Located in Grand Blanc, 2008 marks the 50th anniversary of the Buick Open, which was held in June. Previous winners of the event include Tiger Woods, Vijay Singh, Jim Furyk and Kenny Perry. The Buick Open consistently attracts the biggest names on the PGA Tour, including Tiger Woods, John Daly and Mike Weir, just a few of the golf superstars who play at Warwick Hills.
