History of Detroit Lions in Timeline

The Detroit Lions are a professional American football team located in Detroit. They are part of the National Football League (NFL) and compete in the National Football Conference (NFC) North division. Ford Field in Downtown Detroit serves as their home stadium.

July 12, 1930: Joined the NFL

On July 12, 1930, the Portsmouth Spartans, which would later become the Detroit Lions, officially joined the NFL.

1934: Team Colors Chosen

In 1934, after the Portsmouth Spartans relocated to Detroit, owner George A. Richards had Glenn Presnell and his wife choose the Lions' colors. They selected blue and silver, with the blue later becoming known as "Honolulu blue".

1934: Relocation to Detroit and Renaming

In 1934, the Portsmouth Spartans relocated to Detroit and were renamed the Lions, a reference to Detroit's Major League Baseball franchise, the Detroit Tigers. The relocation was prompted by financial difficulties the team faced in Portsmouth.

1934: Uniforms after move to Detroit

Since moving to Detroit in 1934, the Detroit Lions uniforms have generally remained the same, with silver helmets and pants and either blue or white jerseys.

1935: NFL Championship Game Win

In 1935, the Detroit Lions won one of their four NFL Championship Games.

1935: Throwback Jerseys Introduced in 1994

In 1994, to commemorate the 1935 championship, every NFL team, including the Detroit Lions, wore throwback jerseys. The Lions' jerseys had solid silver helmets and pants, Honolulu blue jerseys with silver numbers, and no "TV numbers" on the sleeves.

1948: Brief Uniform Change

In 1948, head coach Bo McMillin briefly changed the Lions' colors to scarlet and black, influenced by his time as coach at Indiana.

1950: End of Uniform Change

In 1950, the Detroit Lions returned to their traditional colors after a brief period where they wore scarlet and black.

1956: "TV Numbers" added to Jersey Sleeves

In 1956, "TV numbers", auxiliary uniform numbers to help TV broadcasters identify players, were added to the jersey sleeves.

1957: NFL Championship Game Win

In 1957, the Detroit Lions won one of their four NFL Championship Games.

1970: White Trim Added to Logo

In 1970, white trim was added to the Detroit Lions logo.

1972: Outlines Added to Jersey Numbers

In 1972, outlines were added to the numbers on the Detroit Lions jerseys (white on the blue jersey, silver on the white jersey).

1982: Color Arrangement Reversal on Blue Jerseys

In 1982, the color arrangement on the numbers on the blue Detroit Lions jerseys was reversed.

1984: Facemasks changed to blue

In 1984, the silver facemasks on the Detroit Lions helmets became blue.

1991: Playoff Win

After not winning a playoff game since 1957, the Detroit Lions finally secured a playoff victory in the 1991 season.

1994: Throwback Jerseys Introduced

In 1994, every NFL team wore throwback jerseys, with the Detroit Lions' design resembling those worn during their 1935 championship season.

1998: Blue Pants Debut

In 1998, the Detroit Lions briefly wore blue pants with their white jerseys, along with grey socks, but discontinued the combination after the season.

1998: First time since 1998 that the white jersey and blue pants combo was released

On April 13, 2017, the Detroit Lions unveiled new uniforms, which included the white jersey and blue pants combo for the first time since 1998.

1999: "TV Numbers" Moved to Shoulders

In 1999, the "TV numbers" on the Detroit Lions jersey sleeves were moved to the shoulders.

2001: 1950s-Style Throwback Jerseys

From 2001 to 2004, the Detroit Lions wore 1950s-style jerseys during their traditional Thanksgiving Day games.

2003: Black Trim Added to Logo and Jerseys

In 2003, the Detroit Lions added black trim to their logo and jerseys, and the facemasks on the helmet changed from blue to black.

2004: 1950s-Style Throwback Jerseys

From 2001 to 2004, the Detroit Lions wore 1950s-style jerseys during their traditional Thanksgiving Day games as part of an NFL initiative.

2005: Alternate Black Jersey Introduced

In 2005, the Detroit Lions introduced an alternate black jersey.

2006: NBC airs Sunday night games

In 2006, NBC began airing Sunday night games, a broadcast that the Detroit Lions would participate in for the first time in 2011.

October 26, 2008: First Blackout in Ford Field history

On October 26, 2008, the Detroit Lions experienced their first blackout in the then seven-year history of Ford Field during a game against the Washington Redskins. This was due to insufficient ticket sales, ending a streak of 50 consecutive regular season home game sellouts.

2008: Throwback Uniform for 75th Anniversary

For the 2008 season, the Detroit Lions dropped the black jersey in favor of a throwback uniform to commemorate the franchise's 75th anniversary.

April 20, 2009: New Logo and Uniforms Unveiled

On April 20, 2009, the Detroit Lions officially unveiled a new logo and uniforms, featuring a flowing mane and fangs for the lion and a modern typeface.

2009: Broadcast blackouts due to poor performance and recession

In 2009, the Detroit Lions' 2-14 season, combined with the Great Recession's impact on Michigan, led to local broadcast blackouts. This affected the second home game against the Washington Redskins, where the Lions broke their losing streak, and the comeback victory over the Cleveland Browns.

2010: One Blackout in 2010

In 2010, the Detroit Lions had only one blackout, which occurred during a game against the Washington Redskins, which the Lions won 37-25.

2011: Lions play on Sunday Night Football

In 2011, the Detroit Lions became the last NFC team to play on NBC's Sunday Night Football since the network began airing Sunday night games in 2006.

2014: NFL's "cross flex" broadcast rules instituted

In 2014, the NFL instituted the "cross flex" broadcast rules, allowing any Detroit Lions game slated to air on Fox to be moved to CBS.

2015: NFL Suspends Blackout Policies

In 2015, the NFL suspended its blackout policies, ensuring that all Detroit Lions games would be shown on local TV regardless of ticket sales.

June 13, 2016: Lions Announce Addition of Cheerleaders

On June 13, 2016, the Detroit Lions announced the addition of cheerleaders to the organization for the first time in over 40 years. Rebecca Girard-Smoker, former director of the Detroit Pistons dance team, was named as the coach of the cheerleading squad.

February 1, 2017: New Typeface, Logo and Color Changes

On February 1, 2017, the Detroit Lions announced a new typeface, logo update, and the removal of black from the team identity.

April 13, 2017: New Uniforms Unveiled

On April 13, 2017, the Detroit Lions unveiled new uniforms, including a white jersey and blue pants combo and an alternate all-grey uniform, an all-Honolulu blue uniform, and a helmet with a silver face mask. The initials "WCF" were added as a tribute to William Clay Ford.

September 20, 2021: White Pants Worn Against Packers

On September 20, 2021, the Detroit Lions wore white pants with their road white uniforms against the Green Bay Packers, a style reminiscent of the "scarlet and black" era in the 1940s.

April 12, 2023: 90th Season Celebration Announced

On April 12, 2023, the Detroit Lions announced they would celebrate their 90th season in franchise history during the 2023 season with a commemorative logo and jersey patch.

June 21, 2023: Alternate Blue Helmet Unveiled

On June 21, 2023, the Detroit Lions unveiled an alternate blue helmet paired with the grey uniform, marking the first time since 1955 the team wore a blue helmet.

2023: Playoff Win

After the 1991 season, the Detroit Lions did not win another playoff game until the 2023 season.

April 18, 2024: New Jersey Set Unveiled

On April 18, 2024, the Detroit Lions unveiled a new jersey set, including the "One Pride" home jersey, "the 313" road white jersey, and "Motor City Muscle" black alternate jersey.

2024: Series record against the Bears

As of the 2024 season, the Chicago Bears lead the all-time series against the Detroit Lions 105-80-5.

2024: Series record against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers

As of the 2024 season, the Detroit Lions lead the all-time series against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers 33-30.

2024: Series record against the Los Angeles Rams

As of the 2024 season, the Los Angeles Rams lead the all-time series against the Detroit Lions 45-43-1.

2024: Series record against the Minnesota Vikings

As of the 2024 season, the Minnesota Vikings lead the all-time series against the Detroit Lions 80-45-2.

2024: Announcers for Lions Preseason Games

In 2024, the announcers for the Detroit Lions preseason games were Jason Ross Jr. with play-by-play, Golden Tate with color commentary, and Dannie Rogers with sideline reports, with games produced by FanDuel Sports Network Detroit.