Reported by Steve Reed of the Associated Press

Charlotte, N.C.

The Carolina Panthers will be holding their training camp at home next summer.

The Panthers are part of a trend in the NFL where teams are choosing to centralize their football operations by staying at their year-round training facility. They were one of only six teams in the league that still held their training camp away from their home base.

Since their establishment in 1995, the Panthers have consistently held their training camp at Wofford College in Spartanburg, South Carolina. However, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the 2020 training camp was relocated to Charlotte.

In 2018, David Tepper purchased the Panthers from Jerry Richardson, the previous owner and alumnus of Wofford College.

“We are pleased to announce that our training camp will be held at our facility in Charlotte,” stated Kristi Coleman, president of the Panthers, on the team’s website. “We would like to extend our gratitude to Wofford and the Spartanburg community for their gracious hospitality throughout the years.”

The Panthers are currently figuring out the best plan for handling fans during camp, as their space at Wofford College is no longer available. Further information will be provided at a later time.

The team has announced that it will be removing its dome practice field as part of a larger plan to improve the team’s practice and training facilities. The dome will be taken down after the season, and construction will begin on the new practice fields.

The modifications, anticipated to be finished by the upcoming summer, will enable the Panthers to possess three complete practice fields, as they did before Tepper purchased the team and constructed the dome.

According to the team, the layout will allow for more room to practice and the chance to rotate fields in order to reduce damage.

Caroline Wright, the senior vice president and chief venues officer at Tepper Sports & Entertainment, stated that the removal of the Dome marks the beginning of a continuous effort to improve the team’s facilities. Upcoming upgrades will involve changes to the fields, with the aim of building a field house for football operations and community use. In the meantime, the team will be considering options for indoor practices in case they are needed.

The Panthers had intended to relocate their team headquarters and practice fields to Rock Hill, South Carolina. However, the agreement fell apart when the state-of-the-art facility was only partially constructed.

The Panthers will start the season with a Fan Fest event in South Carolina, followed by a Back Together Football gathering in Charlotte.

Source: wralsportsfan.com