Contract prevents Charlotte 49ers from changing the name of Jerry Richardson Stadium

UNC Charlotte’s football stadium will continue to bear the name of former Carolina Panthers owner Jerry Richardson, the school said in a statement Tuesday.

In response to an Observer inquiry after the Carolina Panthers recently removed a statue of Richardson from the outside of Bank of America Stadium, the university said:

“Two years ago, after review, the UNC Charlotte Board of Trustees agreed to follow the terms of the naming rights contract with Mr. Richardson.

“The University continues to adhere to the terms of the agreement.”

UNCC kept Richardson’s name on the stadium in 2018, following his sale of the Panthers to David Tepper after a months-long investigation substantiated claims of sexual and racial misconduct by Richardson, who founded the team.

The statue of Richardson was taken down last week outside of Bank of America Stadium with the Panthers citing “public safety” concerns from recent nightly protests for social justice in Charlotte.

As the university’s statement suggests, it appears the 49ers have no ability to change the name of Jerry Richardson Stadium, the football team’s home since its 2013 inception.

The naming-rights contract, dated May 14, 2013, outlines the financial terms of the agreement between Richardson and the school. There is no morals clause in the contract that prohibits certain behavior by either party.

It also states: “The stadium name and field name (McColl-Richardson Field) will be used as primary identifiers in perpetuity for the life of the football complex including any expansions and additions to the complex.”

Under the contract’s terms, Richardson agreed to make a $10 million donation, payable in 10 annual increments of $1 million from 2013 through 2022.

If Richardson, who’s 83, dies before the donation is fully paid, the unpaid amounts would come from Richardson’s estate.

There is also a statue of Richardson at his alma mater of Wofford College in Spartanburg. A Wofford spokesman issued this statement about its own Richardson statue last Thursday: “Mr. Richardson’s contributions to Wofford College are extraordinary, and for that we are grateful. It is not appropriate for us to comment further.”

The Richardson Stadium that’s home to the Davidson football team is not named after Jerry Richardson.

This story was originally published June 16, 2020 at 3:52 PM.