- Lower level seating at Bank of America Stadium will have the biggest impact
- There will be an overall increase of less than 1 percent in seats on the upper floors
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Long-suffering Carolina Panthers fans will have to pay more to see the NFL's worst team in 2024 after the club's resale ticket prices plummeted during the miserable 2023 season.
Billionaire David Tepper's 2-15 team is increasing overall ticket prices by just over 4 percent in 2024 despite missing the final two games of 2023.
Lower level seating at Bank of America Stadium will have the biggest impact, with season ticket prices for season seat license holders expected to increase an average of 7 percent compared to last year, according to a team spokesman. Upper level seating will see an overall increase of less than 1 percent, with 90 percent of those ticket prices remaining unchanged.
Premium tickets that include club seats and suites increase according to contract terms.
The 2023 Panthers proved so unpopular with fans that ticket prices for the team's Dec. 17 win over the visiting Atlanta Falcons in Charlotte fell by under a dollar.
A fan watches before a game between the Atlanta Falcons and the Carolina Panthers in December
David Tepper is under fire after raising ticket prices for a team that finished 2-15 in 2023
However, in addition to their poor form on the field, the monsoon that hit Carolina in 2023 was a major factor in tickets dropping to just 45 cents that night.
Of course the fans protest against the ticket increase.
“I don't understand why Tepper thinks it's a smart idea to raise the price of tickets when this team finished 2-15 last season,” one fan wondered on X.
Another fan added, “Every decision David Tepper makes regarding the Panthers is a bad one. “It's funny what a terrible owner he is.”
The team has not announced the new actual cost of a season ticket by tier, except that the cheapest season ticket package is $510 — the same as last season.
The Panthers struggled through the 2023 season after selecting quarterback Bryce Young with the No. 1 overall pick. Carolina sent top wide receiver DJ Moore and four draft picks to the Chicago Bears to move up in the draft and get Young, including what turned out to be the No. 1 overall pick in 2024.
Last season, there was frustration and apathy among Carolina fans, and head coach Frank Reich and general manager Scott Fitterer were fired.
The Panthers struggled in 2023 after spending the No. 1 pick on quarterback Bryce Young
Carolina Panthers fans didn't hesitate to condemn David Tepper for increasing ticket prices in 2024
Towards the end of the season, the Panthers faced half-empty stadiums and, in the case of a home game against Dallas, a crowd that was predominantly Cowboys fans.
According to team research, the Panthers ranked 19th in the 32-team NFL in non-premium ticket prices in 2023 and expects to remain comparable this season despite the 4 percent increase. The team says its research suggests 93 percent of NFL teams are increasing ticket prices for 2024, with four teams not yet releasing pricing information.
PSL holders will receive an email notification on Tuesday with details of the ticket price changes.
The team says PSL holders have until May 1 to renew their season tickets. Anyone who registers for a payment game or pays in full before April 1 will be eligible to win an all-expenses paid trip to the 2024 NFL Draft in Detroit.
Atlanta Falcons Carolina Panthers