New Panthers Owner David Tepper during his introductory press conference at Bank of America Stadium touched on some of the changes he sees himself bringing to the team. He would like to replace the team’s current practice field with a state-of-the-art facility, which he called an “obvious need.” Tepper said, “We can’t be less than competitive with other NFL teams. … We’re falling behind a little bit.” Tepper mentioned new sports gambling legislation as a reason to also look at improving amenities for fan experiences at the stadium, though he did not say whether that would come in the form of a new stadium or renovations.
With former Panthers COO Tina Becker having resigned yesterday afternoon, Tepper is tasked with hiring a new President and COO for the team. Tepper said that he is looking for candidates that have experience running a sports team, as well as developing a business. Tepper also stressed the importance of hiring people who will help execute his philosophy of “openness on all sides” and creating a family environment. Tepper, on how he sees the team’s culture changing from what it was under former Owner Jerry Richardson, said, “Whatever was, was. This is now.”
Tepper caused waves on social media when he said he is “contractually obligated” to keep in place the statue of Richardson located outside Bank of America Stadium's north entrance. He did not go into details regarding what the obligations are.
