The Pontiac Silverdome, which opened in 1975, was home to the Detroit Lions for decades. The property sat on 199 acres of land. When the stadium opened, it featured a fiberglass fabric roof held up by air pressure.
The Silverdome boasted a seating capacity of 82,666+, it was the largest stadium in the National Football League until FedExField in suburban Washington, D.C. expanded its capacity to over 85,000 in 2000.
The Silverdome was home to the Detroit Lions from 1975-2001
The stadium was also home to the Detroit Pistons of the National Basketball Association from 1978 to 1988. In addition, the Silverdome also served as the home venue for the Detroit Express of the North American Soccer League.
The Michigan Panthers of the United States Football League played there. Two college bowl games; the Cherry Bowl and the Motor City Bowl were played inside of the venue as well.
The stadium was a regular concert venue and hosted a number of athletic and non-athletic events, including the 1979 NBA All-Star Game, Super Bowl XVI, WrestleMania III, and early round games of the 1994 FIFA World Cup.
After the opening of Ford Field in 2002, the stadium was left without a permanent tenant. The city of Pontiac was unable to find a good use for the stadium, leaving it empty for 8 years.
The City of Pontiac could not find anyone to repair the roof of the venue
Eventually the city ran out of money, and was forced to sell due to the rising maintenance costs. Multiple attempts were made to keep the stadium going, but eventually options dried up for ownership.
In 2017, the Silverdome owner decided to tear down the closed facility. The upper ring of the stadium, which had supported the roof structure, was imploded on December 4th, 2017, following a failed attempt the previous day.
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