Expansion

Panthers owner in "ongoing discussions" with MLS on Charlotte expansion

Memorial Stadium - Charlotte

The owner of the NFL’s Carolina Panthers remains eager to bring Major League Soccer to Charlotte, North Carolina in the form of a future expansion team.


Last week businessman and hedge-fund manager David Tepper told reporters that he’s still highly interested in MLS, as the likes of Miami, Nashville and Cincinnati have captured recent expansion slots.


“We are having ongoing discussions with Major League Soccer,” said Tepper, whose personal fortune reportedly runs about $11 billion. “We’re talking about when they’ll take extra teams and when the time comes, we’ll be [ready]. We’re very much studying, very much focused on it. I personally believe that’s something that belongs in Charlotte.”

The largest city in North Carolina, Charlotte has a metro-area population of around 2.6 million and is currently home to the Charlotte Independence, a USL Championship club founded in 2014.