The Carolina Panthers Expansion Team

The Carolina Panthers a professional football team based in Charlotte, North Carolina, represents both North Carolina and South Carolina in the National Football League. They are currently members of the South Division of the National Football Conference. The Caroliner Panthers, along with the Jacksonville Jaguars, began playing as 1995 NFL expansion teams.

In 1992, the National Football League released a list of five areas open to obtaining a professional football team in the National Football League. The five top spot contenders wer Baltimore, Maryland, St. Louis, Missouri, Memphis, Tennessee, Jacksonville, Florida, and the Charlotte, North Carolina. Niether of the Carolinas had a professional team. On October 26, 1993, the league announced that the owners had unanimously voted for Cahrlotte, North Carolina to receive the 29th fottball franchise and the first new National Football League team since 1976. Jacksonville, Florida was the other city that was awarded a new expansion team in the National Football League. Even though St. Louis and Baltimore lost out on their expansion team bids, they eventually acquired new teams. The Los Angeles Rams moved to St. Louis in 1995 and as the result of the 1996 Cleveland Browns relocating to Baltimore, Maryland, the Baltimore Ravens were established by the league as technically a new expansion team.

On July 29, 1995 The Caroliner Panthers became the first expansion team to win their first ever opening game. They played against the Jacksonville, Jaguars, winning by a score of 20-14. The game came to be known as the "Battle of the Big Cats" for both the Panthers and Jaguars.

The 2007 Carolina Panthers season is the 13th season for the team in the National Football League. They are trying to improve upon their 8-8 record from the 2006 season and are looking to return to the playoffs for the first time since the 2005 football season.