SPARTANBURG — Carolina Panthers training camp will return to Wofford College's Gibbs Stadium in Spartanburg on July 27.
The team released its practice schedule for the upcoming NFL season on June 28 with 12 total practices scheduled. Training camp continues through Aug. 10.
The franchise first held camp at Wofford in 1995. Team founder and previous owner Jerry Richardson, who attended Wofford, decided then to host camp at the college. The team's training camp wasn't held at Wofford's Gibbs Stadium in 2020 after the NFL restricted teams from traveling due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Preparations have started in Spartanburg to host the camp, with organizers meeting to complete scheduling.
"We just had our first meeting with the Panthers and Wofford yesterday (June 29)," City Communications and Marketing Manager Christopher George told The Post and Courier. "It's a really big deal to have them back. This year autographs will be allowed and we hope it draws more people out. Part of the camp's whole attraction is that fans get a chance to get closer to the players."
The training camp's future in Spartanburg was uncertain after the franchise announced plans to build a new team headquarters and practice facility near Rock Hill. The proposed $800 million headquarters and practice facility halted construction in March. It was scheduled to be completed in 2023.
Panthers Owner David Tepper's real estate company, GT Real Estate Holdings, terminated its agreement with the city of Rock Hill on April 19 on the project. There was a dispute between the city and the real estate company on whether to issue bonds to help pay for public infrastructure, according to the Associated Press.
The franchise had extended its agreement with Wofford through this year while it was building the practice facility. George said with the Rock Hill facility no longer an option, the Panthers may decide to stay in Spartanburg beyond 2022.
"It's great to have the camp (back in Spartanburg)," Spartanburg City Councilwoman Erica Brown said. "It has a tremendous economic impact on our city and our hospitality taxes. We are happy to see them back and will continue to welcome them as long as they want to have their training camp here."
On July 30, the team will host its Back Together Saturday event with an evening practice at Gibbs Stadium beginning at 7 p.m.. The event will include entertainment and activities for fans. The record for attendance for training camp — 135,371 — occurred in 2016.
All practices are free and open to the public. Autographs after practices will be allowed at training in camp for 2022. In 2021, autographs were not allowed due to social distancing restrictions enforced during the pandemic.
