Their first season was played at Clemson University, in their Memorial Stadium. Completed in 1996, and called Carolinas Stadium at the time, the Carolina Panthers stadium opened up as Ericsson Stadium after the naming rights were secured by LM Ericsson for 10 years. In 2006, Carolina Panthers fans began purchasing Bank of America Stadium tickets to see their favorite team play, when naming rights were sold again, to Bank of America in a 20 year deal.
Those who purchased Carolina Panthers tickets for the Hall of Fame game against the Jacksonville Jaguars saw the Carolina Panthers secure their place in the record books in the team's debut. The Carolina Panthers became only the second expansion team in NFL history to win their first game, defeating Jacksonville with a final score of 20-14. Two years later, making history again, the Carolina Panthers became the first expansion team in history to defeat the reigning Super Bowl Champions when they secured a 13-7 victory over the then-champion San Francisco 49ers.
Continuing an early record of success, the Carolina Panthers finished their 2003 season with an 11-5 record, pushing them on to Super Bowl XXXVIII against the New England Patriots. Five years later, in 2008, the Carolina Panthers came out of the season at 12-4, and secured the division title for the season. This season was the first season that fans saw Jake Delhomme appear as the team quarterback, replacing Rodney Peete during the first game of the season. Jake led the team to a fourth quarter comeback during the season opener, securing his spot as the new starting quarterback for the Carolina Panthers.
Since inception, the Carolina Panthers team has been led to an impressive 115-119 record, including post season games. With such a successful record, there is no question why fans from all over, including North and South Carolina, flock to Charlotte regularly to attend Carolina Panthers games at Bank of America Stadium. With a loyal following, they are sure to have continued success.
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