Bank of America Stadium

Bank of America Stadium

Bank of America Stadium is a football stadium in Charlotte, North Carolina and it seats over 75,500 fans. It is headquarters and home arena for the NFL’s Carolina Panthers.  The Major League Soccer team, the Charlotte FC will also be based here.

The classically-designed, bowl-shaped stadium originally opened in 1996 as the Ericsson Stadium.   The Bank of America bought the naming rights in 2004.

History of the Bank of America Stadium

Many different sites had been under consideration as a potential location for the new Carolina Panthers stadium before the current site was chosen. The stadium opened in 1996 as the Ericsson stadium.  The Swedish-based telecoms company bought the naming rights for ten years, in a deal worth $25 million. Bank of America signed a new 20-year naming rights deal in 2004 and now many fans refer to the stadium as BOA.

Every single Panthers game since 1996 played at home has been at the Bank of America Stadium. There have been seven playoff games there over the years, with 150 games in a row being sell-outs, starting in 2002. The first-ever regular-season game held at Bank of America Stadium was against the Chicago Bears, with the Panthers winning. That same season, the Panthers got into the playoffs.

Over the years, some of the games held at Bank of America Stadium have been subject to significant weather events. A massive rainstorm in a 2011 game against the Jacksonville Jaguars saw the whole stadium being covered, with mini-waterfalls running off from the upper tier . The stadium has also been hit by lightning in the past, striking the field when nobody was present.

Renovations to Bank of America Stadium

At the time of being constructed the Bank of America Stadium was a very modern stadium so not much work was needed during its first two decades. The first renovations occurred in 2007 when scoreboards and video displays were updated. In the 2013-2014 offseason, and at a cost of $87.5 million, the first stage of more significant renovations took place.  These involved the installation of new escalators and improvements to the concourse and the overall infrastructure. Over the next four years, 2014-2017, the stadium underwent an even more substantial programme of improvement.  These included the addition of a private club suite, buffet-style drink stations on the upper concourse, improved wi-fi access and new signage and displays on the lower level.

Yet more improvements are in the pipeline. In 2019 Charlotte was awarded the 30th MLS franchise and the new team will be playing at the Bank of America Stadium in 2022.  This will require the addition of new locker rooms and a tunnel entrance.

Other events

As well as NFL games, there have been a number of notable college football games held at the Bank of America Stadium. These include the annual Duke’s Mayo Bowl and the ACC Championship Game.

There have also been a number of international soccer games that have taken place at Bank of America Stadium. Some of the non-sporting events held at the arena include music concerts, political conventions, and beer festivals.

Carolina Panthers

The Carolina Panthers were the 29th NFL franchise to be created.  Their first season was in 1996. The team had a strong start, having a record first season for an expansion team.  They finished the regular season the next year with a 12-4 record.

They got to the Super Bowl for the first time in 2003, but lost to the New England Patriots. After going through a barren spell, the team started returning to the playoffs on a regular basis. They reached the Super Bowl again in 2015, but lost out to the Denver Broncos. They have won six divisional titles and two NFC Championships.

Betting on games

The games at Bank of America Stadium are hugely popular, with the passionate local fans always making their voices heard. There are loads of betting opportunities for these games. To check out the best American football betting sites and for an unbiased look, head on over to the expert reviews on Roger.com.

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