Charlotte will become the host city for the 30th Major League Soccer team. David Tepper, the billionaire owner of the Carolina Panthers, has been instrumental in working to bring a team to the city. The team would play in Bank of America Stadium after renovations are made.
It awarded the 30th Major League Soccer team to the city and Carolina Panthers owner David Tepper on Tuesday, as MLS Commissioner Don Garber joined Tepper and Mayor Vi Lyles at Mint Museum Uptown for the announcement.
The event capped months of frenzied speculation and competition as other cities vied for the expansion bid.
Garber made the announcement official by inviting Tepper to the podium, saying: “It is now my pleasure to welcome Charlotte to Major League Soccer.”
Charlotte beat out Las Vegas and Phoenix for the latest expansion team. “It’s going to be a new Charlotte,” Tepper said. “We’re the hot city.”
Garber later confirmed that Tepper will pay in the range of $300 million to $325 million for the expansion fee, but wouldn’t specify the exact amount. The last two teams that joined MLS, from St. Louis and Sacramento, Calif., each paid a $200 million expansion fee. The fee has steadily risen over the years.
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