Detroit Lions expect to sell out Ford Field in 2023

It’s no surprise given all the positivity around the team, but the Detroit Lions expect to fill Ford Field to capacity for home games next season.

As the Detroit Lions started winning games last season, home games at Ford Field were filled well and then sold out to create a genuine home field advantage. In 2021 they drew the fewest fans in the league (51,522 per game) and last season they had the biggest jump in attendance (63,423 per game; a 23.1 percent increase).

Team president Rod Wood spoke at the league meetings this week. He talked about plenty of things, including moving team headquarters from Allen Park in the future, and he landed on attendance expectations for next season.

Via Kyle Meinke of MLive.

"I think we’re at 96% and change renewal rate (on season tickets), which is maybe the highest ever, and then thousands and thousands of new season-ticket purchases too,” president Rod Wood told reporters on Tuesday during the NFL owners meetings in Phoenix. “So ticket demand remains strong, which I think is because of the buzz about the team and the way we finished. I’m suspecting that we’re going to have sellouts for every game this year.”"

Detroit Lions should have no trouble selling out every game at Ford Field in 2023

Off of winning eight of their last 10 games last season, the Lions have had a nice run in free agency to affirm themselves as the popular favorites to win the NFC North next season. The idea they could do more than win the division has plenty of people in the media jumping on the bandwagon with both feet.

As Meinke noted, the Lions have never drawn better than 98.7 percent capacity since moving to Ford Field in 2002. That was in 2017, Jim Caldwell’s final season as head coach, with a stadium record 64,137 fans per game and 513,100 total for the season. Caldwell was of course fired after that season, Matt Patricia was hired and the whole vibe around the Lions went into the tank.

There’s no secret sauce to having big fan attendance at home games, in any sport. Win a lot, and people will show up more to the point opponent doesn’t necessarily matter. The Lions’ eight home games in 2023 are lined up to become a place to be in Detroit on Sunday afternoons this fall, and Wood’s expectation for sellouts should come to fruition with no trouble.