Panthers Sale To David Tepper Finalized

The Carolina Panthers announced Monday that the sale of the franchise to former Steelers minority owner David Tepper has been finalized.

“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. “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.”

Here’s a letter from team founder Jerry Richardson:

Jerry Richardson's farewell message pic.twitter.com/jHhaO6YxaV

— Carolina Panthers (@Panthers) July 9, 2018

Back in May, NFL owners officially approved the sale of the Panthers to Tepper. NFL commissioner Roger Goodell said Tuesday that Tepper was unanimously approved by the finance committee and the other 31 owners.

According to reports, Tepper will purchase the Panthers franchise for around $2.2 billion in cash and another $75 million in deferred money, which sets a record for the highest sale price for an NFL team.

Tepper plans to keep the Panthers franchise in North Carolina.

Other bidders for the franchise included South Carolina businessman Ben Navarro, Canadian steel and mining executive Alan Kestenbaum and Fanatics owner Michael Rubin.