Bank of America Stadium

Bank of America Stadium is a multi-purpose stadium located in the Uptown section of Charlotte, North Carolina, United States. It has a capacity of 75,037 and is the home facility and headquarters of the Carolina Panthers of the National Football League (NFL) and Charlotte FC of Major League Soccer (MLS).[14] The stadium opened in 1996 as Ericsson Stadium, with Swedish telecom company LM Ericsson initially holding the naming rights. In 2004, Charlotte-based financial services company Bank of America purchased the naming rights under a 20-25-year agreement at $140 million.[15] Former Panthers president Danny Morrison called it a "classic American stadium" due to its bowl design and other features.[16]

In addition to the Panthers and CLTFC, the stadium hosts the annual Duke's Mayo Bowl, which features teams from the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) and either the Southeastern Conference (SEC) or the Big Ten Conference. The stadium was planned to host the annual ACC Championship Game through at least 2019; the game was moved in 2016 but reinstated in 2017.[17][18][19] The ACC announced on May 19, 2022, that Bank of America Stadium would continue to host the championship through at least the 2030 season.[20] The largest crowd to ever attend a football game at the stadium was on September 9, 2018, when 74,532 people watched the Panthers defeat the Dallas Cowboys 16–8.[21]

Sites considered for selection

The Panthers organization considered several possible sites for the stadium's location before choosing the Charlotte center city site. Part of the site was occupied by the historic Good Samaritan Hospital. As part of the preparation for the 2019 Equal Justice Initiative Community Remembrance Project, Charlotte historian Michael Moore determined the site was also significant as the location of the city's first known lynching in 1913.[22]

One alternative was near NASCAR's Charlotte Motor Speedway and the University of North Carolina at Charlotte in northeast Mecklenburg County. Another was at the intersection of I-85 and US 74 in western Gaston County. A popular option was to locate the facility near Carowinds amusement park, with the 50 yard line being on the state border of North Carolina and South Carolina.

Naming rights

The stadium was originally known as Carolinas Stadium, a name which remains in use for certain events such as FIFA matches. It opened on August 3, 1996, as Ericsson Stadium[15] after Swedish telecom company LM Ericsson purchased the naming rights in a ten-year, $25 million agreement.[23] In 2004, the stadium received its current name after Bank of America purchased the naming rights for 20 years. Since then, many fans now refer to the stadium as "BOA",[24] or "The Bank."

Stadium features

Bank of America Stadium has many unique external features. Aspects of the stadium's architecture, such as the three huge main entrances, incorporate the team's colors of black, process blue and silver. Arches that connect column supports on the upper deck resemble the shape of half a football, while several acres of numerous trees and landscaping surround the building. The stadium's architecture and design has been compared to that of the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum and Soldier Field, among others. It has also received mentions for externally resembling "a fortress" instead of a stadium.[25]

Each of the stadium's entrances are flanked on both sides by two larger-than-life bronze panther statues, something unique throughout the entire NFL. These six statues are all named "Indomitable Spirit" and were installed in 1996.[26] Each one depicts a crouching, snarling panther with green eyes; they are the largest sculptures ever commissioned in the United States.[27][28] The names of the team's original PSL owners are engraved into each statue's base.

The stadium also has six light domes. These are found on top of the main entrances, two per entrance, and sit over a hundred feet in the air. Originally, they simply glowed the Panthers' unique 'process blue' every night. As the seasons wore on, the emitted light became less and less impressive and the domes started showing their age. During the 2014 renovations, the domes were rebuilt with LED systems which allow them to project process blue in various ways not possible with the original technology.[29]

Additionally, two people in the Panthers Hall of Honor, former team executive Mike McCormack and former Panthers linebacker and assistant coach Sam Mills, are honored with life-sized bronze statues outside the stadium.[30] Before the 2014 renovations, the names of the hall of honor inductees were placed where the upper ribbon board now resides. These names were subsequently repainted onto the top rear wall behind the last row of seats, then replaced by signs in 2019. Three marble copies of a quote about the stadium from team founder Jerry Richardson were placed near the stadium's entrances in 2014.[31] Due to renovations, these quotes were later displayed in the lower concourse entrances. They are also engraved on benches outside the stadium.

In 2016, a statue of Richardson was added in front of the stadium's north gate in celebration of his 80th birthday. The statue stands nearly 13 ft tall and features larger than life sculptures of Richardson flanked on both sides by two panthers. One panther stands on its hind legs, claws bared, while the other crouches. All three sculptures have the same bronze color and both panthers have the green eyes of and physically resemble the "Indomitable Spirit" statues.[32] In June 2020, the statue was removed, with the team citing potential safety concerns due to protests going on at the time.[33]

Carolina Panthers

In addition to hosting every Panthers home game since 1996, Bank of America Stadium has hosted seven playoff games. Carolina has also had over 150 consecutive sellouts at the stadium starting with the 2002 season.[34]

Impact on NFL venues

At the time of its construction in the mid-1990s, the stadium was a pioneering project for the use of Personal Seat Licenses. It was the first large-scale project funded in the United States chiefly through securing PSLs, which were a new idea themselves. The strength of PSL pledges impressed NFL owners and helped result in the Carolinas receiving the first NFL expansion team in nearly two decades.

The Seattle Seahawks used the stadium, among others, as a reference when designing CenturyLink Field.[41] By 2013, the number of new or renovated stadiums since Bank of America Stadium opened had risen to 25.[42]

Stadium renovations

During its first few seasons the stadium was considered so far ahead of its time that until the 2013–14 offseason it only underwent minor improvements (aside from seating additions). The most notable of these improvements came in 2007 when the original scoreboards, video boards and displays from 1996 were replaced with 31.5' x 77' Diamond Vision video boards. Four ribbon boards were also installed: two spanning the length of the field on either side and two in opposing corners.

In the following years the stadium still wasn't considered as up-to-date as other NFL stadiums. Several reasons existed, including the lack of a surround sound system, smaller video boards compared to the rest of the league and poor cellular reception, among others. During the 2013 offseason, the Panthers renovated the home locker room. It now contained 74 lockers compared to 66 previously, the interior became more clean and modern, and the team's then-new logo was added throughout.[43]

The Panthers proposed a $250 million stadium renovation project in early 2013, pending a vote by the city of Charlotte to help pay for it. This plan included two sets of new scoreboards, multiple escalators, infrastructure and concourse improvements, among others.[44] The subsequent vote by the city failed and efforts to get any money from the State of North Carolina failed as well. However, in April 2013 the Charlotte city council agreed to an $87.5 million deal for the renovations. This deal also kept the Panthers in Charlotte until at least 2019.[45] Despite the lower cost, the renovations would stay true to the team's original plans.

College and high school football

Soccer

When Bank of America Stadium was designed, the field was made to meet the requirements for a soccer pitch. This ability would not be used for much of the stadium's first two decades in operation. With Charlotte FC's arrival, the stadium now plays regular host to MLS and international soccer matches.

Concerts

Concerts at the stadium were a rarity for many years. Most acts performed at the Spectrum Center or at other performing venues in Charlotte. After David Tepper bought the Panthers (and therefore the stadium) in 2018, concerts became more commonplace.

Other events

• A four-day Billy Graham crusade was held at the stadium in 1996.
• The closing night of the 2012 Democratic National Convention, in which President Barack Obama was expected to deliver his acceptance speech for the Democratic Party presidential nomination, was to be held at the stadium on September 6, 2012. However, due to predicted thunderstorms, it was relocated to Spectrum Center.[94]
• The stadium hosted the inaugural Untappd Beer Festival on May 4, 2019.[95] It was going to host the second festival on May 16, 2020, however, the festival was postponed due to COVID-19.[96][97]
• The 14th annual Beer, Bourbon and BBQ Festival was hosted by the stadium on March 7, 2020.[98]
• The stadium served as a COVID-19 vaccination site from January 29–31 and March 9–11, 2021.[99][100]
• Bank of America Stadium hosted the Topgolf Live Stadium Series from March 25–28, 2021.[101]
• The stadium hosted the Savannah Bananas on June 6 and 7, 2025. Both events sold out.[102]

Future

Although no time frame has been given, Panthers and Charlotte FC owner David Tepper has expressed interest in constructing a new stadium for the teams in Uptown Charlotte, with Bank of America Stadium eventually being demolished.[103] Tepper noted in 2019 that while the Stadium was well-preserved and well-landscaped, the growing maintenance expense after decades of use led him to joke that it would be cheaper to give the stadium away. Although the stadium's design was ahead of its time, it's now considered obsolete as the design lacks open concourses (allowing fans to stand and watch games from bars and other group areas) and a retractable roof.[103] And while Bank of America Stadium was designed mostly for football under then-owner Jerry Richardson, Tepper has preferred that its replacement be multipurpose with a retractable roof in order to accommodate his MLS soccer team, concerts, major conventions, and NCAA Final Four basketball.[104] In 2022, Tepper said another major renovation was under consideration. This renovation would apparently give the stadium two or three more decades of use.[105]

Plans also include creating an entertainment district between the future stadium and the future Gateway Station, an $800 million intermodal transit station currently under construction.[106]

In June 2024, the Panthers unveiled plans for an over $800 million renovation to the stadium. Upgrades would include new exterior video displays, seating, lighting, new concourses, and numerous other improvements.[107] Construction is expected to start in 2026 with completion expected by 2029.[108]

See also

• Lists of stadiums

External links

• Bank of America Stadium at StadiumDB.com