Detroit Lions Unveil Upgrade Plans for Ford Field

A couple weeks after announcing a major update to Ford Field, the Detroit Lions have announced project details for the work entails.

The Detroit Lions previously announced that the Ford family would be investing $100 million in Ford Field for the stadium’s first major upgrade since it opened. Details were not immediately released, other than generalities that new video boards and sounds system would be part of the project.

An unveiling event was held tonight as the Lions released details about all that will be done for what is being dubbed “the new Ford Field.”

Indeed, Ford Field will be getting new video boards above each end zone. In a video posted by the team this evening, team president Rod Wood described the new boards as a “virtual tripling” of the stadium’s video boards.

"In each end zone, the Daktronics main video displays will be more than twice the size of the current displays and measure 39.5 feet high by 152 feet wide. Flanking the main displays will be four additional displays measuring 13 feet high by 59 feet wide that can be used individually or coordinated with the main displays for one continuous 270-foot presentation to show live video, instant replays, statistics, graphics and animations, and sponsorship messages. All five of the displays will feature a 13HD pixel layout, Daktronics’ premier technology, to ensure vibrant, crisp imagery with wide angle visibility.Additionally, there will be displays mounted to Ford Field’s super columns and ribbon boards mounted along the fascia of Gate A and the main seating bowl. The team worked closely with Daktronics to identify the largest size and best options given the stadium structure."

Renderings were also provided to give a visual of how the new video boards will look once installed.

During the unveiling event tonight, the width of the boards was highlighted to note that they are almost as long as the mega video boards that hang in AT&T Stadium in Arlington, TX. However, the boards in Jerry World are nearly twice as high, so the comparison comes up lacking. In defense of the Lions, there is good reason for that.

Given the two large trusses that span the width of Ford Field, there likely would have been line of sight issues for fans in the upper deck as they look across the field at the video boards. As noted in the info released by the team, the new boards were sized with that constraint in mind.

Aside from the new video boards, the most obvious changes will come in the form of renovated suite, club and common areas in the stadium. The Lions describe the work in those areas as follows.

• Complete suite renovations with two levels of finishes, identified as the Red Zone suites and the 20’s suites
• Redesign and re-brand of The Corner Lounge which will become Corner Bar and celebrate great players from the franchise’s past and present
• New concept club with communal experience and no assigned seating
• Renovated current and addition of new spaces (Grid Iron Club and Terrace Suite) for suite and club members on the north side of stadium
• Fully updated club space on the south side (currently Huntington Club) of stadium that will feature addition of Loge box seating

Next: Breaking Down the Lions' Offseason at Running Back

For more on the work going in to the “new Ford Field”, the Lions have a special website site up dedicated to the project. There you will find more project details and renderings showing before and after images of areas that will see major renovation.