The Panthers are now officially David Tepper’s team.
The Panthers announced that the deal to transfer the team from Jerry Richardson to Tepper (for $2.275 billion) had now closed.
“I am thrilled to begin this new era of Carolina Panthers football and am humbled by the overwhelming excitement and support for the team,” Tepper said in a statement from the team. “On behalf of the fans and myself, I thank Jerry Richardson for bringing the team to the Carolinas and for entrusting me with its future.
“Winning is the most important thing both on the field and in the community, and I am committed to winning a Super Bowl championship together. I look forward to being part of the Panthers’ family and to supporting this flourishing region.”
Tepper had already been approved by the league’s other owners, and today’s was the close of the paperwork portion. Now we get to see how many material changes he makes to the team, though he isn’t expected to do anything on the football side anytime soon. Whether it’s renovating his existing stadium, adding a practice facility or making staffing changes, he can begin now.
And if nothing else, it will help the team turn the page on the Richardson era, which ended after allegations of workplace misconduct including sexual and racial harassment, which were corroborated by the NFL’s investigation. Richardson was fined $2.75 million, which of course he can afford.