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 In a state known for Tobacco Road and NCAA Basketball, professional football has been a part of the Carolina sports scene for over a decade. The push for a NFL franchise in the Carolinas began in the mid to late 1980s after Charlotte was awarded an expansion NBA franchise. In 1987, former NFL player Jerry Richardson led the effort to obtain an expansion franchise. Richardson was joined by politicians, businesses and citizens from both North and South Carolina in his bid for a team and to construct a new stadium. Prior to being awarded a franchise, several sites were under consideration for the location of a new stadium. They included near Lowes Motor Speedway, Carowinds Amusement Park where the 50 yard line would be on the NC/SC border and in Center City in Charlotte.
Bank of America Stadium was completed for the
start of the 1996 season. It ushered in a new wave of stadiums in
the NFL as more than a dozen stadiums have opened since 1996. The Carolina Panthers played their first
game at the stadium on September 14, 1996. Bank of America Stadium
is one of the NFL's premier stadiums from the outside to inside.
Located right outside of downtown Charlotte, the facade of Bank of
America Stadium is very unique. It consists of massive archways
and domed towers. Bank of America Stadium features a striking
black obsidian granite facade. A pair of black panthers, each
eight-feet-tall and weighing
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2,000
pounds, perched on ten-foot pedestals, are located on both sides
of each of the three 80-foot arched entrances. The 48-foot
diameter light domes atop the entry towers are lit every night.
The exterior looks like many other notable stadiums, such as
Soldier Field. Bank of America Stadium consists of over
73,000 blue and silver seats in three tiers that circle the
playing field. It has many amenities including the Bank
of America club and 158 luxury suites. Bank of America Stadium
also includes three practice facilities, training facilities, and
administrative offices. The stadium has changed little since its
opening in 1996. A new 31.5ft by 77ft High Definition
Diamondvision scoreboard was added before the 2008 season. 
