Last updated: October 2026
The Detroit Lions posted their 2026 Football Information Summer Intern role on 5 November 2025, about seven months before its June start, and a remote Quantitative Research Intern role two days earlier with a $3,000 stipend for a 10-week project. Both were posted on the club's own Greenhouse board. On 17 October 2026 that board listed three jobs and no internships. Here's the cycle in plain words: if the pattern holds, you apply in early November 2026, and you intern in summer 2027.
Quick Facts
| Fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Where to apply | Detroit Lions Greenhouse board, linked from the Lions careers page. Use the "Create a Job Alert" button on any posting. The board also holds a standing Future Consideration Application form |
| Application window (2027–28) | Not open yet. Analytics internships for summer 2027 expected ~early Nov 2026 (low confidence, one dated cycle). Any other summer or seasonal internships are undated |
| Rolling? | Unknown. The 2025 postings state no deadline, and closed postings are removed from the board, so how long they stayed open isn't documented |
| Eligibility | Current college student or recent graduate. The football analytics role asked for a major in computer science, statistics or a relevant field, statistics or machine learning coursework, and R and/or Python. GPA isn't stated |
| Duration | Football Information Summer Intern: about June to about August 2026. Remote Quantitative Research Intern: 10 weeks at about 15 hours a week, no fixed dates |
| Compensation | $3,000 total stipend for the 10-week remote role, which works out to about $20 an hour at 15 hours a week. The Football Information posting states no pay |
| Return offers | Not published |
| Locations | Detroit, MI 48226 (Ford Field) is the posted location of the football analytics role. The Quantitative Research Intern works remotely from within the United States |
| # Programs | No branded program. Two documented internships from the 2025 posting wave |
Nothing is open on 17 October 2026. The only dated evidence is two analytics internships posted on 3 and 5 November 2025, so early November 2026 is an expected window, not a confirmed one.
Lions internships we can document are football analytics roles, so a finished data project is the proof that matters before November. Externships are short, remote programs where you complete a real project for a real company, most commonly over 8 weeks. The Breaking Games E-Commerce Data Analysis & Strategy Externship builds applied analysis and storytelling, and the Pfizer Advanced AI-Powered Document Insights & Data Extraction gives you an AI and data-extraction workflow to show. Explore all Externships.
What Is a Detroit Lions Internship?
A Detroit Lions internship is a temporary or project-based role posted on the club's own Greenhouse board, not a branded program. The two internships we can document from the club's pages are in football analytics. The Football Information Summer Intern used data analysis, statistical modeling and machine learning to help Football Operations evaluate league-wide trends and player metrics. The Quantitative Research Intern ran one remote football research project with check-ins and milestones. Both are separate from the Lions' Football Information Season Associate role, which was posted the same week, and from game-day jobs such as Event Day Ticket Seller.
When Do Detroit Lions Internship Applications Open for 2027–2028?
The Lions don't publish a recruiting calendar, so this window rests on one dated cycle. The Football Information Summer Intern went up on 5 November 2025 for a start in approximately June 2026, a lead of about seven months. The remote Quantitative Research Intern went up two days earlier, on 3 November. Neither posting states a deadline, and closed Lions postings are removed from the board, so we can't say how long either stayed open. We treat early November 2026 as expected for summer 2027 analytics roles, with low confidence.
Applications aren't open. As of 17 October 2026 the Lions' Greenhouse board listed three jobs: a payroll director, an Event Day Ticket Seller and the standing Future Consideration Application. None is an internship.
Assemble the optional materials the 2025 posting invited: a competition entry such as an NFL Big Data Bowl submission, a thesis or class paper, or a GitHub repo. Turn on a job alert on the Greenhouse board.
Analytics internships for summer 2027 are expected to post, based on 3 and 5 November in 2025. This is one cycle, so treat the date as low confidence and check the board weekly from late October. No deadline was stated in 2025.
Other summer or seasonal internships may appear on the same board. Closed postings are removed, so we can't document earlier ones. Keep the alert on and apply as soon as a role posts.
The summer analytics internship is expected to run about June to August, as the 2026 role did. The remote research internship ran 10 weeks at about 15 hours a week with no fixed dates.
How to read this page: our dates come from tracking previous recruiting cycles and daily posting data. Treat them as informed estimates based on historical patterns, not confirmed dates. The company's official careers page is always the most current source. If a role is posted there, go by that, even if this page suggests the window hasn't opened yet.
Why You Must Apply the Week Applications Open
The Lions' mode isn't established. The 2025 postings state no deadline, and closed postings vanish from the board, so there's no measured window length. The two roles went up within two days of each other, and the board held only three jobs on 17 October 2026, which means a new role is easy to spot and easy to miss between visits. The safe course is simple: set a Greenhouse alert, check the board weekly from late October, and apply in the first days a role appears rather than waiting for a deadline that may never be printed.
Which Detroit Lions Internship Programs Should You Target?
The Lions have no branded program, so the table lists the two documented internships plus the forms and roles that aren't internships.
| Role | Focus | Duration | Key skills |
|---|---|---|---|
| Football Information Summer Intern | Data analysis, visualization and statistical modeling for Football Operations; tools for coaches, scouts and front-office staff | About June to about August 2026 | R or Python, statistics, machine learning |
| Quantitative Research Intern (Remote) | One football research project with check-ins and milestones; paid $3,000 stipend | 10 weeks, about 15 hours a week | Statistical models in R or Python |
| Future Consideration Application | Standing talent-pool form on the board, not a posted internship | Open now | Résumé |
| Not internships | Football Information Season Associate; Event Day Ticket Seller; summer camp coaches | Separate jobs | Varies |
Roles post on the Lions' Greenhouse board. The NFL league office program is a separate employer with its own window.
What Are the Eligibility Requirements?
These are the requirements written into the two 2025 internship postings:
• Enrollment: a current college student or recent graduate (Football Information role), so the program isn't graduate-only.
• Major and coursework: a major in computer science, statistics or a relevant field, plus statistics and/or machine learning coursework or equivalent experience.
• Technical skills: building statistical models in R or Python, with proficiency in statistical modeling preferred for the Football Information role.
• Location: Detroit for the Football Information role. The Quantitative Research Intern works from within the United States.
• GPA and work authorization: not stated. The application form asks whether you will need visa sponsorship and whether you can work weekends and nights.
Do You Need a Portfolio?
It's optional, but the Lions invited it. The remote posting says to include prior analytics work such as NFL Big Data Bowl submissions, theses, class papers, GitHub repos or blog posts, and adds that if you have no relevant project, they don't expect you to complete one for the application. A finished project still gives a reviewer something concrete to read.
What Skills Do the Detroit Lions Look For, and How Do You Build Them?
The two 2025 postings agree on a short list. Programming and models: both ask for statistical modeling in R or Python. Coursework: both ask for statistics and/or machine learning. Mindset: both ask for intellectual curiosity and for working independently. The Football Information role adds data visualization and tools for coaches, scouts and front-office staff. Two postings are too few for a skill-frequency chart, so we count them in words, not bars.
Note: Only two Lions internship postings (3 and 5 November 2025) are documented on the club's own pages, which is too few for a skill-frequency chart. Closed postings are removed from the Greenhouse board.
How Is Demand for Data Analyst Interns Moving Right Now?
Data analyst intern postings · Sep vs Aug 2026
vs 37 in August
For Detroit Lions applicants: Data analyst intern hiring picked up sharply in September; apply within the first week a role posts, while the most seats are open.
Daily US job-posting counts, Sep 1–30 vs Aug 1–31, 2026. Covers under half of US postings; shows direction, not market size.
Build These Skills Before You Apply
Each skill below comes from a 2025 Lions internship posting and maps to a remote Externship you can finish before early November.
| Skill (from real JDs) | JD evidence | Externship that builds it |
|---|---|---|
| Statistical modeling and data analysis | Football Information Summer Intern: analyze large quantities of football data to develop actionable insights | Breaking Games E-Commerce Data Analysis & Strategy |
| Python and machine learning workflows | Football Information Summer Intern: statistical programming, machine learning and data visualization | Pfizer Advanced AI-Powered Document Insights & Data Extraction |
| Independent research project | Quantitative Research Intern: one football research project with milestones | Center for Improving Youth Justice Data Analytics |
| Tooling and automation | Football Information Summer Intern: create and maintain tools and resources for coaches, scouts and staff | Wayfair n8n AI Agent Engineering |
The Lions invited prior analytics deliverables with the application. A finished Externship project, linked in your résumé, is the same kind of evidence.
What Is the Detroit Lions Application and Interview Process Like?
The Lions publish no interview format. Here's what the 2025 postings show:
1. Set an alert. Use the Create a Job Alert button on the Greenhouse board so you see new roles the day they post.
2. Apply on Greenhouse. The form asks for name, email, phone and a résumé, with a cover letter optional. It also asks about visa sponsorship, weekend and night availability and your earliest start date.
3. Attach prior work. The remote research posting invites competition entries, papers or GitHub repos but doesn't require them.
4. Wait for the response. The confirmation says someone will get back to you if there is a fit. Interview steps and offer timing aren't published.
If no role matches yet, the board's standing Future Consideration Application keeps you on file.
What Students on Reddit Say
Reddit has no first-hand account of Lions internships, so these three cards come from one 2025 r/Detroit thread about getting a job with Detroit sports teams in general. Treat them as background.
Commenters said to start with internships while you're in school and not to limit yourself to the pro teams. One said a senior-year internship with a Detroit arena operator was how they got into the industry.
Several people warned that team jobs mean long days and lower pay than comparable work, and one parent's friend said a son working for the Lions liked it but called it a lot of work for modest pay.
The practical tip repeated most was to watch team career pages and TeamWork Online, and to expect ticket sales to be the usual way into full-time work.
How Do You Stand Out for a Lions Analytics Internship?
Three moves. First, show your code. Both documented postings ask for R or Python, and the Lions invited work such as NFL Big Data Bowl entries, so link a repo or a short write-up. Second, name your coursework. The Football Information role required statistics or machine learning coursework or equivalent experience, so say which classes or projects cover it. Third, be early. The 2025 roles went up within two days of each other and no deadline was printed, so apply as soon as you see one. The Lions publish no class size or conversion rate, so treat the internship as the goal and ask about the Football Information Season Associate path while you're there.
What Other Companies Should You Consider?
If you're aiming at the Lions, these programs sit closest by sport or by hiring style.
- NFLleague office program in a short December window, not a teamGuide →
- Jacksonville Jaguarsanother NFL club that posts paid internships one department at a time on TeamWork OnlineGuide →
- Pittsburgh SteelersNFL club whose interns are mostly full-time post-graduate rolesGuide →
- Buffalo Sabresseason-long hockey internships rather than a summer classGuide →
- Sporting Kansas CityMLS club with unpaid, credit-required internships three times a yearGuide →
Our sports internships summer 2027 guide maps league, team, media and betting programs in one place.
FAQ
Can I still apply for a summer 2026 Detroit Lions internship?
No. The two summer 2026 internships we can document were posted in early November 2025 and are no longer on the board. On 17 October 2026 the Lions' Greenhouse board listed three jobs and no internships. The next door is summer 2027, expected to post around early November 2026.
When do Detroit Lions summer 2027 internship applications open?
We expect early November 2026, based on one cycle: the analytics roles went up on 3 and 5 November 2025. No deadline was stated. That's a pattern from one year, not a confirmed date, so set a Greenhouse job alert and check the board weekly from late October.
Are Detroit Lions internships paid?
The remote Quantitative Research Intern posting states a $3,000 total stipend for a 10-week internship, about $20 an hour at 15 hours a week. The Football Information Summer Intern posting states no pay, so we don't quote a rate for it or for other Lions roles.
Who can apply for a Detroit Lions internship?
The Football Information posting asked for a current college student or recent graduate with a major in computer science, statistics or a relevant field, plus statistics or machine learning coursework and R or Python skills. GPA and work authorization weren't stated, though the form asks about visa sponsorship.
Is there a remote Detroit Lions internship?
Yes, in 2025. The Quantitative Research Intern was a remote, part-time, paid role for one football research project, about 15 hours a week for 10 weeks. Interns had to perform all work from within the United States. Whether it returns for 2027 isn't announced.
What does a Lions football analytics intern do?
The 2026 Football Information Summer Intern used data analysis, visualization and statistical modeling to help Football Operations evaluate league-wide trends and player metrics. Daily work included building tools for coaches, scouts and front-office staff and analyzing large quantities of football data with statistical programming and machine learning.
Are Lions game-day jobs internships?
No. Roles such as Event Day Ticket Seller are part-time jobs, not internships, and they post on the same Greenhouse board. The same goes for the Football Information Season Associate role and summer camp coaches. Check the title and the posting text before you apply.
Is this the same as the NFL league office internship?
No. The NFL league office runs its own program with its own window, and the Lions hire for their own football analytics and club roles on their Greenhouse board. If you want both, you need to apply to both, and our NFL guide covers the league program.
Lions internships aren't open until about November 2026, and the window is undocumented. Use the weeks in between to finish a data project, and if you want one, a remote Externship takes about 5 to 10 hours a week.
About the Author
Bifei Wang has spent 17 years focused on human flow and the growth of young professionals, spanning international education, career training and coaching, and recruitment process outsourcing. Over 7 years at Extern, he has had one-on-one sessions with thousands of students exploring careers in consulting, finance, tech, marketing, and data, giving him a firsthand view of how the job market has shifted for early-career professionals and what it actually takes to break in.
