The Michigan Panthers drew the largest USFL crowd of 1983 at the Silverdome, defeating the Oakland Invaders 37-21 before 60,237 home fans.  After winning the 1983 title, it could be argued that the Panthers were more popular than the Lions, who also called the Silverdome home but were nowhere near winning a championship of any kind.  When the USFL's owners opted to go to a fall schedule for 1986 however, Panthers owner A. Alfred Taubman knew he'd encounter problems booking the Silverdome and merged the team with the Oakland Invaders.

The Silverdome continued as the home of the Lions through 2001, after which the team moved to a new facility.  While the building continued to be used periodically, the number of dates the Silverdome was booked for concerts and other events dropped dramatically once the Lions left, and the facility closed in 2004.  The site currently stands vacant, an empty shell with seats, waiting for a developer to take it off the local government's hands, either razing or developing the property.