Ford Field Possible Host For Title Game

With Nebraska’s acceptance into the Big Ten today, Detroit is already making a push for hosting a title game that doesn’t even officially exist yet.

The Detroit Metro Sports Commission and Ford Field have expressed interest in hosting a Big Ten Championship, now that Nebraska gives the conference an even number of 12 teams.

“It’s purely speculation right now,” DMSC executive director Dave Beachnau said. “What the Big Ten might do is uncertain. We haven’t had any communication with them, so I really don’t have a lot to go on. Certainly, I think it would be a great opportunity.”

Detroit has shown it’s plenty capable of hosting big sporting events, hosting the Super Bowl, the NCAA’s Men’s Final Four and Frozen Four and the MLB All Star Game all since 2005. Being an indoor venue, it would also eliminate the cold winters that hit the Midwest from being a factor in the game, which would probably take place in late November. Beachnau agreed:

“A number of markets are capable of hosting it,” Beachnau said. “I would think that it would be an event they would want to hold in an indoor facility (because of the weather), so that limits the opportunities for others.”

Off the top of the head, other possible venues that come to mind would be Minnesota’s Metrodome, which is slowly losing tenets, Indianapolis’ Lucas Oil Stadium, and Chicago’s historic Soldier Field. Chicago hosted the men’s and women’s basketball tournament at the United Center until 2002, but Soldier Field’s outdoor design may eliminate them.