Source: Panthers would like to return to Spartanburg for training camp in 2020
The Panthers would like to return to Spartanburg for training camp in 2020.
The team’s contract with Wofford College, part of a five-year extension agreed to in 2015, ended after the 2019 season. However, the Panthers are working toward returning to Spartanburg, S.C., for 2020 but have yet to reach a contract with Wofford, per a source with direct knowledge of the situation.
A spokesperson for Wofford said they have yet to hear from the Panthers on whether they would like to return and that they want “whatever is best for the Panthers.” The Spartanburg Area Chamber of Commerce, which runs tourism information in the region, also said it has not been informed of any decision by the team.
The Panthers have held camp at the college every year since the team’s first season in 1995.
There was speculation that the team was more likely to hold camp this year at the team’s facility in Charlotte after owner David Tepper constructed a $1 million bubble prior to the 2019 season for Carolina to practice in. A variety of events have taken place in the newly constructed building, including new head coach Matt Rhule’s introductory press conference.
Owner David Tepper spoke on the future of training camp at Wofford when he met with the media in November, saying that the team was going to have to explore what the best option was in terms of competitive advantage due to the heat and the facilities at Wofford not being as advanced as what the Panthers have at Bank of America Stadium
At that time, Tepper also said the Panthers informed Wofford they would let them know by February of a decision to return.
Whatever contract the team will be in negotiation for with the college will not be for a significant period of time. The Panthers are scheduled to open their Rock Hill facility in August 2022 and are planning to hold training camp there that year.
Once the new facility is opened, training camp is expected to move there on a permanent basis. The facility is partly being built to give the Panthers a leg up when it comes to advances in technology and other resources.
Tepper has discussed the importance of retaining a presence in South Carolina outside of the in-development facility in Rock Hill. Training camp was attended by more than 100,000 fans in 2017 alone, and a 2018 study by a study by Clemson’s parks, recreation and tourism department showed the Panthers in Spartanburg had an economic impact of $13 million for the city in ‘16 and ‘17.
The decision to try and return to Wofford comes at a time when the majority of NFL hold their training camps at their home facilities, both to save money and for the ease of not needing to transport materials. Earlier this month, the Bears announced they would no longer be holding camp at Olivet Nazarene University, but would instead hold their training camp at their training facility. Most teams have all of their facilities at or near their home stadium as the Panthers do with Bank of America Stadium.
The Panthers as an organization are in time of transition with the team hiring an almost entirely new coaching staff and adding new members to the front office. Remaining in Wofford would be an interesting decision for the Panthers as part of the reason the school was tied to the team was previous owner Jerry Richardson, who still has a statue at the school (as well as outside of Bank of America Stadium) and has many things named after him at the school, including the indoor stadium for basketball.
This story was originally published January 28, 2020 at 1:07 PM.
