The Detroit Safari (founded as the Detroit Neon) was a member of the

Continental Indoor Soccer League The Continental Indoor Soccer League (CISL) was a professional indoor soccer league that played from 1993 to 1997. History In the summer of 1989 Dr Jerry Buss, the owner of the Los Angeles Lakers and California Sports, told his executive Vice Pr ...

that played at

The Palace of Auburn Hills The Palace of Auburn Hills, commonly referred to as the Palace, was a multi-purpose arena built in 1988 and located in Auburn Hills, Michigan. It was the home of the Detroit Pistons of the National Basketball Association (NBA), the Detroit Shoc ...

. Their owners, the Palace Sports Group were awarded a franchise on November 4, 1993. Their star player and unofficial coach (the CISL prohibited player-coaches) was experienced indoor player

Andy Chapman Andrew Chapman (born 18 September 1959) is an English-American retired soccer player who saw his greatest success as an indoor player in the United States. He spent six seasons in the American Soccer League, ten in the Major Indoor Soccer Lea ...

. The name Detroit Neon was a reference to the

Dodge Neon Dodge is an American brand of automobiles and a division of Stellantis, based in Auburn Hills, Michigan. Dodge vehicles have historically included performance cars, and for much of its existence Dodge was Chrysler's mid-priced brand above Ply ...

and came from a sponsorship from the

Chrysler Corporation Stellantis North America (officially FCA US and formerly Chrysler ()) is one of the " Big Three" automobile manufacturers in the United States, headquartered in Auburn Hills, Michigan. It is the American subsidiary of the multinational automotiv ...

like fellow Palace Sports team the International Hockey League

Detroit Vipers The Detroit Vipers were an International Hockey League team. The team was founded in 1994, and played at The Palace of Auburn Hills. Their mascot was a polar bear named Vipe-bear. History Beginning The Vipers were originally formed as the S ...

. In 1997 the

naming rights Naming rights are a financial transaction and form of advertising or memorialization whereby a corporation, person, or other entity purchases the right to name a facility, object, location, program, or event, typically for a defined period of ...

were sold to

General Motors The General Motors Company (GM) is an American Multinational corporation, multinational Automotive industry, automotive manufacturing company headquartered in Detroit, Michigan, United States. It is the largest automaker in the United States and ...

and they were named after the

GMC Safari The Chevrolet Astro is a van that was manufactured and marketed by the Chevrolet division of American auto manufacturer General Motors from 1985 to 2005. Sold alongside the GMC Safari, the Astro was marketed in multiple configurations, incl ...

minivan. The team folded along with the closing of the

after the 1997 season. During the team's existence, some games (including all 1997 home games) were televised on

PASS Sports The Pro-Am Sports System (better known as PASS Sports or simply PASS) was an American regional sports network that operated from 1984 to 1997. It also served as an affiliate of the Prime Network from 1988 to 1996. Based in Detroit, Michigan, the ...

. They led the league in attendance in their first season (1994) and never placed below fifth in league attendance for a season. During the five seasons that the Neon/Safari played, their average attendance was 6,232.

Ownership

* Palace Sports & Entertainment Group

Staff

* Ron Campbell – General Manager (1994–97)

Head coaches

* Chris Keenan (1994) * David B. Baker (1994) * Paul Child (1995–97)

References

{{Detroit Indoor Soccer Association football clubs established in 1993 Association football clubs disestablished in 1997 Defunct indoor soccer clubs in the United States Continental Indoor Soccer League teams S Soccer clubs in Michigan Sports in Auburn Hills, Michigan Sports in Oakland County, Michigan 1993 establishments in Michigan 1997 disestablishments in Michigan