Detroit Safari


The Detroit Safari was a member of the Continental Indoor Soccer League that played at The Palace of Auburn Hills. Their owners, the Palace Sports Group, were awarded a franchise on November 4, 1993.

Club history

The Detroit Neon got their name from the Dodge Neon automobile, via a sponsorship from the Chrysler Corporation. In 1997, the naming rights were sold to General Motors and they became the Detroit Safari, after the GMC Safari minivan.
The club did well at the box office, but not on the turf. Despite having experienced indoor player Andy Chapman, the club finished next-to-last in the Eastern Division in both 1994 and 1995 and out of the playoffs. The Neon improved to 13-15 in 1996 and snuck into the post-season, only to be beaten two games to one by the Monterrey La Raza in the first round Finally, the re-named Safari finished with a 3-25 mark in 1997, tying the 1994 Carolina Vipers for the worst in league history. The team folded along with the rest of the CISL after the 1997 season.
During the team's existence, some games were televised on PASS Sports.

Year-by-year

Ownership