Sale Of NFL Panthers To David Tepper Officially Closes

The NFL Panthers today announced that the $2.275B sale of the franchise to David Tepper "was made official" (CHARLOTTEOBSERVER.com, 7/9). Tepper had "already been approved by the league's other owners," and today marked the "close of the paperwork portion." This will "help turn the page" on the Jerry Richardson era (PROFOOTBALLTALK.com, 7/9). O’Melveny Sports Group  represented Tepper in the deal (O’Melveny).

Richardson published a farewell letter to the team's fans, thanking them for "creating such a powerful, passionate fan experience for the past 23 seasons." Read the full letter on the team's web site. Meanwhile, the team announced that COO Tina Becker has resigned, with no immediate replacement for the position. Becker became COO in December when Richardson stepped aside and had been with the team for 19 years (THE DAILY).