Panthers Owner Aims to Build Charlotte Into a Destination City

The company that houses the Carolina Panthers, the Charlotte FC MLS club, and the facility both teams play in, has big plans over the next few years, including an $800 million arena renovation and the construction of a new music venue.

“We do believe Charlotte has become an entertainment destination, and we’re a major part of that,” Tepper Sports and Entertainment CEO Kristi Coleman told Front Office Sports on Radio Row ahead of the Seahawks’ 29-13 victory over the Patriots in Super Bowl LX. Tepper Sports is majority owned by billionaire hedge fund executive David Tepper.

There’s data to suggest Coleman is right about Charlotte as an entertainment destination. In addition to Bank of America Stadium—where the Panthers and Charlotte FC play—the city has the Hornets’ home arena Spectrum Center, the NASCAR Hall of Fame, and the Bojangles’ Entertainment Complex, which hosts concerts, comedy shows, sporting events, and more. In fiscal 2025, Charlotte’s visitor economy “reached new heights” with $1.2 billion in total economic impact from those visiting the city, according to a December report from the Charlotte Regional Visitors Authority. That was a record, up from $1.1 billion the prior year and $1.08 billion in 2023.

Tepper Sports intends to capitalize on the city’s growth, and it has plans already in progress. Bank of America Stadium is undergoing an $800 million renovation aimed at ensuring both the Panthers and Charlotte FC stay in the city for at least the next two decades.

Coleman said that “massive” renovation, which is being done via a public-private partnership with the city, “should be done by 2030.” A separate practice facility being built is expected to be ready by next year, she told FOS.

Tepper Sports is also planning to build a new 4,400-seat music venue through a joint venture with Live Nation. Those plans were announced in October. That project is being privately funded and will be located in Uptown Charlotte.

“There’s no shortage of things going on for us right now,” Coleman told FOS.

That doesn’t just go for construction projects. Bank of America Stadium will host the U.S. men’s national soccer team on May 31 for a pre-World Cup friendly match against Senegal, and in July the MLS All-Star Game will take place there.

Tepper Sports has plenty going on off the field, but Coleman recognizes that the Panthers are the biggest draw. “The NFL is the big one,” she told FOS. The Panthers are coming off a successful season in which they finished first in the NFC South Division, although they lost in the first round of the playoffs to the Rams.

“It’s been a great season, a great year for us,” she said. “We expect all the momentum to take it higher.”