Fresh renderings of Bank of America Stadium's $1.3B renovation
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Rendering: Courtesy of Tepper Sports & Entertainment
Bank of America Stadium's $1.3 billion transformation is underway.
Why it matters: The 30-year-old Uptown stadium is among the oldest in the NFL at a time when plans for new facilities are popping up all over the country. It's an arms race for who has the most modern mecca to lure fans, players and events.
Driving the news: Bank of America Stadium's name will remain for the foreseeable future. The locally headquartered banking giant and Tepper Sports & Entertainment announced a new longterm deal Thursday morning. Terms of the deal were not disclosed.
What they're saying: The deal is a "tangible example of the commitment we have to Charlotte," Kieth Cockrell, Charlotte market president for Bank of America, tells Axios.
- Cockrell watched his son Ross Cockrell grow up to become an NFL player who took the field at Bank of America Stadium for and against the Panthers.
Flashback: In June 2024, Charlotte City Council approved contributing $650 million to renovate the stadium from the city's hospitality and tourism tax (funds that must be used on projects that generate tourism dollars).
- The deal keeps Tepper Sports & Entertainment's teams — the Carolina Panthers and Charlotte FC — here through 2045. TSE is responsible for any overflow costs and stadium maintenance.
- The project was initially estimated to cost $800 million when plans to renovate the stadium were shared in 2024. TSE plans to increase its investment, which will take the total over $1.3 billion.
- Project renovations fell into three tiers. The first tier was city-mandated upgrades, which included stadium bowl seating. Rather than focus on just the city-mandated projects, TSE decided they were "doing it all," TSE CEO Kristi Coleman told reporters.
State of play: Around 65 construction workers are already in place and working behind the scenes on the stadium through the end of the 2026 Carolina Panthers season. Fan-facing renovations will begin in 2027 with around 1,500 workers onsite daily.
- The Panthers and Charlotte FC will continue to play at Bank of America Stadium during renovations.
What to expect: TSE executives say the entire stadium will be upgraded. The latest renderings show that the stadium's corners will expand outward creating more of a circular shape, while maintaining the stadium's park-like setting.
- The social patio on the upper level will include a skyline view and a covered area. Coleman says this addition will give fans more variety for how they experience events at the stadium. PSL owners whose seats may be in the impacted 500-level area will hear from the team about their seats.
- There will be new scoreboards (the current ones were added in 2013) and improved audio throughout the stadium.
- Concourses will expand throughout the stadium.
- Fans exiting from the South Gate will funnel out toward Mint Street rather than Morehead Street.
- The team store will more than double in size.
- Beneath the exterior of the 500-level will light up to create a crown-like addition to Charlotte's skyline.
- Premium spaces, including suites will also be upgraded.
- A pavilion will be added to the South Lawn, which will have activations on gamedays. It'll be built like a stair-stepped amphitheater.
- The LED video board along Mint Street by the East Gate will be removed.
What we're watching: Exact stadium capacity is TBD. What will happen to the existing stadium seats is also TBD. Construction is expected to be completed by 2030, but expect plenty of "pardon our dust" signs in the meantime.
- Just up the street, TSE will also open a sales center this summer giving people a chance to see what the future of the stadium will entail.
- Go deeper: Tepper Sports plans immersive experience center in Uptown
Zoom out: HOK is the architect on the project. D. A. Everett and Clark are handling the construction side.
Between the lines: TSE is busy outside of the stadium, too. A new Panthers' practice facility behind the stadium is scheduled to open in 2027. TSE also plans to open a new 4,400-seat indoor performance venue by 2029 next to the stadium. The latter is expected to host more than 80 events annually and will serve as hospitality space on Panthers' gameday.
The big picture: TSE envisions creating a weekend destination where someone can go to a concert one night and head to a game later that weekend.
- "Now, every fan will experience something different," Coleman says.
Take a look at the renderings.
