As part of the NFL Panthers' offseason renovation of the luxury suites at Bank of America Stadium, the team "plans to combine two existing suites and create a private club," according to Erik Spanberg of the CHARLOTTE BUSINESS JOURNAL. The team has "named the new seating area The 32 Club, tying in to its location near the 32-yard line and the number of NFL franchises." The Panthers in '01 and '08 "opened larger private-member clubs on the suite level." Suite 87 "has 132 seats and is sold out," while the Gridiron Club, with a "limit of 282 members, is also fully sold." Ticket prices for The 32 Club "haven't been set, but they will likely be in the range of $600 to $650 per game, or $6,000 to $6,500 annually." The Panthers' other two clubs carry a $15,000 membership fee, but because The 32 Club "offers sideline views, the membership fee will likely carry a higher price tag." Panthers execs said that they "haven't determined the final construction cost." Panthers Chief Revenue Officer Phil Youtsey said that the idea of adding a private club "began percolating in the last couple of years." When the team "decided to upgrade all 158 suites in the stadium" before the start of the '15 season, the efficiency of building The 32 Club at the same time "convinced the Panthers to move forward." Youtsey said that the suite makeover and the addition of the club "will leave the team with approximately 155 suites." Charlotte-based Wagner Murray Architects, which worked on stadium renovations in '14, "has been hired to design the club" (BIZJOURNALS.com, 3/5).
