When David Tepper bought the Panthers just over a year ago, he marveled at having a big new building that only hosted 10 or 12 events a year.
His next bid to fill up the schedule comes next week, when he will make his pitch to MLS for an expansion team — the league’s 30th spot.
Team president Tom Glick said Tuesday during a press conference on a separate soccer topic (a five-year contract to bring international preseason games to Charlotte) that he was optimistic.
“We have a great case, a very strong case,” Glick said, via Erik Spanberg of the Charlotte Business Journal. “We’re looking forward to continuing to tell them the good news about soccer and our preparedness to have a high-performing Major League Soccer club here and we’ll continue to bring that conversation to them. We’re optimistic about the process and we’re confident in our candidacy.”
While having a turn-key stadium might be a key, MLS has preferred teams build soccer-specific stadiums rather the curtain off the upper decks of football facilities. That hasn’t stopped Tepper — the richest single owner in the NFL who would maintain that title in MLS — from charging forward.
MLS is expected to award its 28th and 29th teams to St. Louis and Sacramento for $200 million entry fees. The price for the 30th, whether it’s Charlotte or another contender, would figure to be higher. Detroit, Las Vegas, and Phoenix are also bidding.