When David Tepper purchased the Carolina Panthers two years ago, he rolled into Charlotte with grandiose ideals. Talking that talk. He promised to build a winning contending team. He came to town with plans to open a new practice facility in Rock Hill, SC.
So far neither has happened. Carolina has yet to make the playoffs in the Tepper era and as of Tuesday, the Panthers ended their agreement with the city of Rock Hill to complete the $800 million practice facility after failing to secure funding. This comes after halting construction for a month.
According to WCNC, the proposed new facility broke ground in Rock Hill in 2020 and it was designated to house a 700,000 square foot facility on a 240-acre site. Most recently slated for completion in 2023, the facilities sit empty and half-finished.
I understand Tepper’s vision and ambition here. He wanted to upgrade the facilities while including South Carolina more in the makeup of the team. Other than training camp at Wofford, the Carolina Panthers are North Carolina identified. So I get wanting to cater to South Carolina. Plus, tax incentives were also a contributing factor.
Tepper’s eagerness to make his mark on the team lead to this. There’s nothing wrong with building a new facility. What’s wrong is breaking ground and letting construction on this facility begin while funding wasn’t completely secure.
Building a new facility could have waited. What would have been wiser was to properly plan for this in 2020 to break ground now or even in 2023. That way there would’ve been time to secure funding and plan better, instead of rushing to do it and having to terminate the project.
With plans for a new facility off the table, Tepper and the rest of the Panthers’ front office can focus on the main thing: Building this team into a consistent contender.