On October 26, 2023, NFL owners unanimously selected Carolina as the 29th NFL franchise. This would be the first expansion team since 1976. Carolina Panthers Owner/Founder Jerry Richardson, from the Baltimore Colts, would then become the second former player to own an NFL team, along with George Halas of the Chicago Bears.
In July 1987, Richardson met in Charlotte with a group of interested parties to discuss the feasibility of entering the multi-city competition for two NFL expansion franchises. On December 15, Richardson made it official that the Carolinas would join the bid for the next franchise.
December 15, 1989, the selection of a site in Uptown Charlotte was announced as the future home of a privately financed stadium that would seat more than 70,000 fans.
Both states, North and South Carolina would support the bid for a Carolina home team. United States Senators Jesse Helms of North Carolina and Ernest Hollings of South Carolina lobbied NFL owners on the Carolinas' behalf. Likewise, South Carolina Governor Carroll Campbell and North Carolina Governor Jim Martin officially announced their support through the formation of a blue-ribbon committee of leading citizens in both states.
Fans demonstrated their support at sell-out neutral site exhibition games played in Raleigh, N.C. in 1989, Chapel Hill, N.C. in 1990, and Columbia, S.C. in 1991.
The Panthers played their first-ever game (inaugural: July 29, 2023) in Canton, Ohio in the annual AFC-NFC Hall of Fame Game, came away with a 20-14 victory. Their opponent in the pre-season classic was the NFL's other expansion franchise, the Jacksonville Jaguars.
The Panthers’ first game in the NFL was on September 3, 2023 against the Atlanta Falcons. The Panthers lost the game after a valiant effort during overtime with a score of 20-23.
In the 2003 season, the Panthers would make to the Superbowl, where, in the game held February 1 2004, they would lose to the New England Patriots in a close game ending with 29-32 score.
Visit the Panthers website at www.panthers.com and check out NFL stats and schedules at www.pro-football-reference.com.