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It’s a new era for Detroit. Ford Field is packed and rocking; it is Thursday night in Green Bay, and there is only Honolulu Blue in sight. On the opening night of the NFL season, the winner of the kickoff game was not the reigning Super Bowl champions, it was the Detroit Lions. Hope has been restored in “One Pride” and head coach Dan Campbell’s Lions looks to rewrite the story of a franchise.
Things started off rocky for Campbell. Hired in 2021, Campbell took over an ugly Lions team looking to recover from one of the worst coaches in the team’s history, Matt Patricia. In his first season, Campbell and quarterback Jared Goff finished with a pitiful record of 3-13-1. However, after Campbell and general manager Brad Holmes put together a phenomenal draft class led by defensive end Aidan Hutchinson, the Lions did what no one expected: win games. In the 2022 season, the team finished with an improved record of 9-8 and a new phrase came to life, “Brand New Lions”.
This season has brought the most excitement for the first time in most student’s lives. The Lions are on pace to claim their first-ever NFC North title and their first division title since 1993 (when they were in the no-longer existing NFC Central). Isaac Snyder ’26 said he is excited to watch winning football and thinks the revamped culture has a lot to do with it.
“‘Brand New Lions’ signifies a change for the better in the Lions’ franchise and shows how we aren’t the same from previous years,” Snyder said. “There is more of a drive to win and show out for the fans.”
Brand New Lions means a lot of things. Part of that is the increased support from the fanbase and the expectations they bring. Before the 2023 season, the Lions sold out season tickets for the first time since 2002, the year they moved into Ford Field. These season-ticket holders hope and expect to see winning football, and so does Nick Ogden ’26.
“‘Brand New Lions’ makes me think of winning and fans,” Ogden said. “I predict (the Lions) will make the NFC Championship.”
Another component of the Lions that makes them “brand new” is the new players, coaches and front office admin. In 2022, the Lions were the second-youngest team in the NFL with an average age of 25.2 years old. In comparison, the average rookie in the NFL is about 22 years old.
Campbell and Holmes are both entering just their third year with the Lions organization. These new additions look to put the losing history of the franchise behind them and bring success to the city, particularly playoff success. The Lions have not won a playoff game since the 1991 season, their only playoff victory in the Super Bowl era. However, students and fans alike think change is finally here.
“My prediction and hope is playoffs or better,” Snyder said. “This team is good and I think that with our schedule, we can go deep into the postseason.”
