(WXYZ) — Detroit looks to once again be a host to major sporting events, with news that the NFL Draft is coming to the Motor City in 2024.
It's one of the first major sporting events the city has hosted in more than a decade.
The 2024 NFL Draft will be held outdoors at Campus Martius Park, right in the heart of Downtown Detroit.
It's the second major sporting event that has been announced in metro Detroit in as many weeks. Last week, the United States Golf Association said Oakland Hills Country Club would play host to the 2034 and 2051 U.S. Opens. It's already scheduled to host the U.S. Women's Open in 2031.
Detroit's Little Caesars Arena is also scheduled to host an NCAA Men's basketball regional in 2024 – which would include the Sweet 16 and Elite 8. LCA hosted early-round games in 2018 and was scheduled to host second-round games in 2021 but all games were moved to Indianapolis due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Tens of thousands of people were also in the Motor City just a few weeks ago as the 2022 NCAA Wrestling Championships were held at Little Caesars Arena. The arena was also scheduled to host the 2020 Men's Frozen Four but it was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The 2010s weren't a great time to be a sports fan, and the city wasn't hosting many major sporting events. Looking back, it was only the playoffs for our sports teams.
The largest championship was when the Tigers played two World Series games at Comerica Park in 2012, where the Tigers lost both games as the San Francisco Giants swept them.
The start of the millennium was a great time to be a sports fan in the City of Detroit. It featured several championships for local teams, and also major national events in the city.
Metro Detroit hosted two major golf events – the 2004 Ryder Cup and the 2008 PGA Championship, at Oakland Hills Country Club. Then, the PGA Tour came to town in 2019 hosting the first-ever Rocket Mortgage Classic at Detroit Golf Club.
The Detroit Red Wings won the Stanley Cup in 2002, 2008 and 2009, and the Detroit Pistons won the NBA Championship in 2004. On top of that, the Detroit Tigers went to the World Series in 2006.
Comerica Park was the host of the 2005 MLB All-Star Game, with more than 40,000 fans in attendance. The American League beat the National League 7-5.
The next year, Detroit hosted the Super Bowl at Ford Field. Super Bowl XL featured the Pittsburgh Steelers against the Seattle Seahawks, with the Steelers winning 21-10.
In 2009, Ford Field also hosted to the NCAA Men's Final Four. North Carolina, Michigan State, UConn and Villanova made were the teams playing, and North Carolina beat the Spartans 89-72 in front of more than 70,000 fans.
Then, in 2010, Ford Field hosted the Men's Frozen Four which featured Boston College, Wisconsin, University of Miami Ohio and RIT. Boston College beat Wisconsin 5-0.
