Two Concacaf Gold Cup matches played at Bank of America Stadium on Sunday drew 59,283 fansGETTY IMAGES
NFL Panthers Owner David Tepper, President Tom Glick and other team execs have been "laying the groundwork for an MLS expansion bid," with league officials having visited Bank of America Stadium in February and team execs making "multiple trips" to N.Y. to meet with MLS Commissioner Don Garber, according to Brian Straus of SI.com. Glick said Charlotte is "now in a position to say that this is going to work incredibly well and we can play earlier or later to best suit" the needs of MLS. Glick added Tepper is "convinced" that an MLS team is "not only needed here, but the market is ready for it and it'll be highly successful." Straus reported Panthers execs could visit with the MLS expansion committee as early as next month, though Glick "wouldn't/couldn't offer dates and details." Garber has said that there would be "no timetable set" for adding a 30th MLS team, and there will likely be "owners who believe it's in the league's interest to stand pat and let a bidding war develop." However, Straus noted Charlotte's "upcoming meeting suggests Tepper is eager to move quicker." The bid would forego the "new 'soccer-specific' stadium that's been the centerpiece of so many" other expansion bids. Tepper will "argue that an upgraded Bank of America Stadium is more than suitable for a growing league and that Charlotte's other attributes are too attractive to ignore" (SI.com, 6/26).
PROVING ITS WORTH: In Charlotte, David Scott noted two Gold Cup matches played at Bank of America Stadium on Sunday "should have erased" any "doubt that Charlotte is ripe" for an MLS club. The two games, Canada-Cuba and Mexico-Martinique, drew 59,283 fans. While that "isn't a guarantee that a potential MLS franchise ... would be a success in Charlotte," it showed that "interest in supporting the game at a high level has been consistently strong" in the market over the past few years (CHARLOTTE OBSERVER, 6/24).
SEMI-CHARMED CITY: The USL is "strongly considering bringing a franchise to Baltimore," though the city is "not in the running" for an MLS club. MLS Exec VP/Communications Dan Courtemanche said, "We encourage soccer fans in the Baltimore area to support D.C. United and attend matches at Audi Field" (BALTIMORE SUN, 6/27).
