A look behind the scenes of Bank of America Stadium

I was most excited about the tour of the stadium, though, even if it didn’t include parts of the stadium I’ve always been curious about like Jerry Richardson’s box, or the Panthers locker room. But it was still enough to satisfy this seasoned Panthers fanatic.

After playtime for the kids, a rambunctious visit from Sir Purr and birthday cupcakes, the tour finally began with a walk past the lonely beer stalls.

We then rode the elevator to the second level and stopped at the “luxury bar” concession area.

The first thing you notice is the area for the lucky few to mingle and schmooze at halftime instead of waiting in the long concession lines. It’s first class, as you’d expect.

A cool feature of the bar area is the 2015 opponent uniforms encased in glass. It’s a nice touch, for sure.

Next stop: press box. For those who have covered high school football and sat in the cold tight quarters of a prep stadium press box, you won’t recognize the comfort of an NFL stadium box.

First, there’s the food bar, where our guide said members of the press can dine on salad, lasagna and bar-b-cue. There’s a bank of TVs showing every NFL game and a phone charging station. Once everyone is fed, they can sit back and watch the game from one of three rows of seats.

We then viewed the broadcast booth, passed by the radio booth and coaches booth and headed to the luxury suites. The fresh smell of paint was strong as we walked in. (I hope they air the places out before the first game.) I’m not sure if the box just had a makeover, but everything was absolutely immaculate.

There’s a full bar area, wine cooler, hot dog heater, comfy seats and windows that open wide. It’s a far cry from the drunken crowdedness one sometimes encounters in the stands.

Back down the elevators, we see some of the inner workings of the stadium. The concourse is wide enough for vehicles to drive through, and the array of wires above is mindboggling.

We passed the Top Cats locker (no peaks inside, though), the entertainers green room, drummers room, walked out the tunnel where the opposing team takes the field, and then finally we entered the away team’s locker room.

It’s hard to miss the number of signs. There’s one reminding players to properly buckle their chin straps, a performance enhancing drug warning, and a warning about illegal drugs.

The opposing team’s locker room was not nearly as nice as the Panthers locker room, we were told by our guides. But because the Panthers use the locker room year-round, they don’t allow the public to view it. I was disappointed, but still enjoyed seeing where the other side dresses, showers and pops towels.

Our guide told us a story about Ravens QB Joe Flacco spitting sunflower seeds from his bloodied mouth onto the floor. A Panther employee had to clean it up. We were also told not to sit in the chairs because of the risk of staph infections. For the players, not us. Yuck.

And just like that, the tour was over. We didn’t get to see everything I wanted, but it was enough to satisfy me just weeks away from the first game. The upgraded areas of the stadium have kept it viable as a top NFL Stadium. Let’s hope the Panthers play on the field this season can match the classy confines Bank of America Stadium.