The Carolina Panthers were established in 1995 as an NFL expansion franchise located in Charlotte, North Carolina. Over their history, the Panthers have had varying levels of success on the field, with their best season coming in 2015 when they won the NFC Championship but lost in the Super Bowl. Off the field, the Panthers aim to be a pillar of the Charlotte community through initiatives like NFL Play 60 that promote healthy, active lifestyles for youth. Going forward, continued success on the field and strong community involvement will be important to maintaining the Panthers' business.

1. 1.
Carolina Panthers Business Plan
800 S. Mint St.
Charlotte, NC 28202
Arthur Freeman
Travis Eaton
John Hawley
North Carolina State University
College of Natural Resources ­ Sport Management
2820 Faucette Drive, Biltmore Hall
Raleigh, NC
(919) 513­0152

2. 2.
TABLE OF CONTENT
Introduction
Executive Summary..............................................................................................................3
Statement of Recognition......................................................................................................3
Agency Data
Historical Information..........................................................................................................4
Community Needs................................................................................................................8
Customer Base.....................................................................................................................9
Level of Competition...........................................................................................................10
Industry Data
Forecast.............................................................................................................................11
Financial Operating Characteristics and Trends..............................................................13
Financing Options ­ Obtaining Start­up Capital...............................................................14
Governing Laws................................................................................................................16
Market Data
Market Strategies................................................................................................................18
Market Area........................................................................................................................19
Market Segmentation..........................................................................................................19
Customer Profile................................................................................................................20
Pricing Trends....................................................................................................................20
Competitors........................................................................................................................21
Sales Projections................................................................................................................21
Mission Statement...............................................................................................................21
Long/Short Term Goals......................................................................................................22
Performance Indicators.....................................................................................................22
Timeline for Implementation...............................................................................................23
Plan Assumptions...............................................................................................................24
Red Flags...........................................................................................................................25
Opportunities......................................................................................................................25
Strengths............................................................................................................................26
Weaknesses.........................................................................................................................26
Risk Analysis.......................................................................................................................26
Action Steps........................................................................................................................28
Management Plan
Carolina Panthers Organizational Chart...........................................................................29
Allotment of Human Resources
NFL Play 60 Initiative........................................................................................................30
Travel Costs........................................................................................................................31
Financial Analysis
How to Keep Solvent..........................................................................................................32

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EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
The Carolina Panthers are a professional football team that is located in the Southern
Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League. The team plays
and is located at 800 S. Mint St in Charlotte, NC. The organization intends on building upon its
successful 2013­2014 season, due to an influx of talented players and a surge in fan interest over
the last two seasons. The Panthers organization aims to provide fans with the best NFL
experience possible while offering competitive prices and turning a profit.
The Panthers team follows the mission statement of the NFL: To challenge National
Football League Players to be lifelong learners while pursuing continuous improvement in
family relations, social interactions, personal growth, and career development during and beyond
their careers as NFL players.
The Carolina Panthers have improved tremendously over the last four season going from
having the worst record in the league at 2­14 in 2010 to winning their division and hosting a
playoff in 2014. This improvement on the field has led to increased profit margins in every major
revenue stream. Going forward we hope to see the Panthers continue to improve both on and off
the field. A winning attitude and strong community relations will be our two greatest assists
STATEMENT OF RECOGNITION
This business plan represents management's best estimate of the future potential of the
Carolina Panthers franchise. It should be recognized that not all­major risks can be accurately
predicted or otherwise avoided and that few business plans are free of errors of
omission or commission. Therefore investors should be aware that this business has inherent
risks that should be evaluated prior to any investment.

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AGENCY DATA
Historical Information
On December 15, 1987, entrepreneur Jerry Richardson announced his bid for an NFL
expansion franchise in the Carolinas. A native of North Carolina, Richardson was a former wide
receiver on the Baltimore Colts who had used his 1958 league championship bonus to co­found
the Hardee's chain of restaurants and served as president and CEO of Time Warner Services. To
highlight the demand for professional football in the Carolinas, Richardson Sports held a
preseason game in the region in 1989, 1990, and 1991. The first two games were held in
Carter­Finley Stadium in Raleigh, North Carolina, and Kenan Memorial Stadium in Chapel Hill,
North Carolina, respectively, while the third
and final game was held at Williams­Brice
Stadium in Columbia, South Carolina.
The Panthers first competed in the
1995 NFL season; they were one of two
expansion teams to begin playing that year,
with the other being the Jacksonville Jaguars.
The Panthers were put in the NFC West to
increase the size of that division to five teams;
the Panthers were pleased with their placement because there were two other southeastern teams
in the division, the Atlanta Falcons and the New Orleans Saints. Former Pittsburgh Steelers
defensive coordinator Dom Capers was named the first head coach. The team finished its
inaugural season with a 7–9 record, the best performance ever from a first­year expansion team.

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They performed even better in their second season, finishing with a 12–4 regular season record
and winning the NFC West division. The Panthers beat the Dallas Cowboys in the divisional
round
before losing the NFC Championship Game to the eventual Super Bowl champions, the
Green Bay Packers. The team managed only a 7–9 finish in 1997 and slipped to 4–12 in 1998,
leading to Capers' dismissal as head coach.
The Panthers hired former San Francisco 49ers head coach George Seifert to replace
Capers, and he led the team to an 8–8 record in 1999. However, the team finished 7–9 in 2000
and fell to 1–15 in 2001, winning their first game but losing their last 15. This performance tied
the NFL record for most losses in a single season (a record that has since been broken by the
Detroit Lions), leading the Panthers to fire Seifert.
After the NFL's expansion to 32 teams in 2002, the Panthers were relocated from the
NFC West to the newly created NFC South
division, along with the Atlanta Falcons, Tampa
Bay Buccaneers, and New Orleans Saints. New
York Giants defensive coordinator John Fox was
hired to replace Seifert
and led the team to a 7–9
finish in 2002. Although the team's defense gave
up very few yards, ranking the second­best in the
NFL in terms of yards conceded, they were
hindered by an offense that gained very few yards,
ranking as the second­worst in the league in terms of yards gained. The Panthers improved to
11–5 in the 2003 regular season, winning the NFC South and making it to Super Bowl XXXVIII

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before losing to the New England Patriots 32–29 in what was immediately hailed by sportswriter
Peter King as the "Greatest Super Bowl of all time."
Following a rocky 1–7 start in 2004, the Panthers rebounded to win six of their last seven
games despite losing 14 players for the season due to injury. They lost their last game to New
Orleans, finishing the 2004 season at 7–9. If they had won the game, the Panthers would have
made the playoffs.
The team improved to 11–5 in 2005, finishing second in the division behind
Tampa Bay and clinching a playoff berth as a wild­card. In the first round of the playoffs, the
Panthers went on the road to face the New York Giants, beating them 23–0 for the NFL's first
playoff shutout against a home team since 1980. The Panthers were then defeated 34–14 by the
Seattle Seahawks in the NFC Championship Game, ending their season.
Although the Panthers went into the 2006 season as favorites to win the NFC South, they
finished with a disappointing 8–8 record. The team finished the 2007 season with a 7–9 record
after losing quarterback Jake Delhomme
early in the season due to an elbow injury.
In 2008, the Panthers finished with a 12–4
regular season record, winning the NFC
South and securing a first­round
bye.However, they were eliminated in the
divisional round of the playoffs, losing 33–13 to the Arizona Cardinals after Delhomme turned
the ball over six times. Delhomme's struggles carried over into the 2009 season, where he threw
18 interceptions in the first 11 games before breaking a finger in his throwing hand. The Panthers
were at a 4–7 record before Delhomme's season­ending injury, and his backup, Matt Moore, led

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the team to a 4–1 finish to the season for an 8–8 overall record.
In 2010, after releasing Delhomme in the offseason, the Panthers had the worst record
(2–14) and the worst offense in the league. John Fox's contract expired after the season ended,
and the team did not retain him or his staff. They hired Ron Rivera to replace Fox as head coach
and drafted Auburn Quarterback Cam Newton with the first overall pick in the 2011 NFL Draft.
The Panthers opened the 2011 season 2–6, but finished with a 6–10 record, and Newton was
awarded the AP Offensive Rookie of the Year award after setting the NFL record for most
rushing touchdowns from a quarterback in a single season and becoming the first rookie NFL
quarterback to throw for over 4,000 yards in a single season. He also was the first rookie
quarterback to rush for over 500 yards in a single season.
In 2012, the Panthers again
opened the season poorly, losing five
out of their first six games, leading
longtime general manager Marty
Hurney to be fired in response. The
team slid to a 2–8 record before
winning five of their last six games,
resulting in a 7–9 record. This strong
finish saved Rivera's job.
The
Panthers would have a winning
season the following year, finishing with a 12–4 record and winning their third NFC South title.
The 2013 Carolina Panthers season was the franchise's 19th season in the National

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Football League and the third under head coach Rivera. After starting the season 1­3, the
Panthers went 11­1 the rest of the way, including a club­record eight­game winning streak,
securing their first winning season and playoff appearance since 2008, the first winning season
under Rivera and the fifth in
franchise history.
Community Needs
Since 1973 the NFL
has partnered with the
United Way of America to
increase public awareness to
various social service issues that have faced the nation. This partnership has created the longest
running charity public service announcement campaign in history. In 2007, the NFL and United
Way launched a new youth fitness initiative called NFL PLAY 60. The goal of this program was
to encourage children to get at least 60 minutes of exercise or “play” a day to combat childhood
obesity which has been steadily rising in the
United States over the last 15 years.
There has been an increased awareness in the
NFL brand since the induction of the Play 60
program. By allowing young fans the
opportunity to meet and hear from the idols in
the form of NFL athletes they then become
long term fans of the player, his team, and the

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league as a whole. For the NFL the Play 60 initiative showed that the league didn’t care just
about making money but investing in the long term well­being of its young fans. The program
has proved to be extremely successful as 63% of NFL fans surveyed prior to the 2012 season
associate Youth Health and Fitness/Childhood Obesity as the primary social cause associated
with the NFL.
The Carolina Panthers are most famously known for a commercial between quarterback
Cam Newton and a young fan that can’t wait to replace him “as his mom’s favorite player”.
Elsewhere the Panthers have several events scheduled throughout the year as part of the Play 60
program. These include a Play 60 camp that simulates an NFL Training Camp for young
athletes, the Play 60 Super School contest in which a school is chosen to receive $10,000 in grant
money to support youth health and wellness, and the Play 60 Challenge; a six week contest that
encourages students to lead healthy active lives
Customer Base
The Panthers are based out of and play in Charlotte, NC. Charlotte serves as the largest
city in North Carolina and is located
in Mecklenburg County. It has the
17th largest city in the United States
with a population of 775,202. The
Charlotte metropolitan area has a
combined population of 2,442,564 as
of 2011. This population serves as the
primary customer base for the

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Panthers as they are in the closest proximity to Bank of America stadium which is located in
downtown Charlotte. The city is a major financial center in the United States, holding the second
largest financial center by assets behind only New York City. The East Coast operations of Wells
Fargo and the headquarters of Bank of America are located in Charlotte as well. Other local
attractions include the NASCAR Hall of Fame, Carowinds amusement park, and the Charlotte
Bobcats/Hornets of the NBA.
Due to the lack of NFL competition the Panther’s fan base extends throughout the states
of North and South Carolina. It also extends slightly into eastern Tennessee and southern
Virginia but compete with the Tennessee Titans and Washington Redskins for fans in both of
these respective areas.
Level Of Competition
The Panthers compete in the Southern Division of the National Conference of the NFL.
They share the conference with the Atlanta Falcons, the New Orleans Saints, and Tampa Bay
Buccaneers. The National
Football League serves as
the premier football
league, housing some of
the best athletes in the
world. Only the best
There are attractions in the Charlotte area that compete with the Panthers for public
interest. The more popular ones are the Charlotte Bobcats Basketball Team, Carowinds
Amusement Park, Charlotte Motor Speedway, the NASCAR Hall of Fame, and Bechtler

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Museum of Modern Art. The nearby Charlotte Convention Center also hosts a wide variety of
events throughout the year.
The Bobcats serve as the most direct form of Sporting competition to the Panthers.
However, since their inception in 2002 they’ve made the playoffs only once. This lack success
has caused an intense decrease in fan interest in attendance in the past several seasons. This is a
direct contrast with the Panthers who have been a playoff contender most of their seasons of
existence. This polar opposite of success has lead to the Panthers becoming the clear cut leader
in sporting popularity in the state of North Carolina.
INDUSTRY DATA
Forecast
Every professional sports organization goes through periods of fluctuation financially.
The main factor that decides how teams will fare in the future depends on how well the team
performs in previous years.
It’s common sense that if a
team performs very poorly,
attendance that their games
in the future will
dramatically decrease.
However, the Carolina
Panthers are coming off of a 12­4 season in 2013, winning the NFC South division, as stated
above. Statistics show that, according to this trend, the demand for game day and season tickets

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for the Carolina Panthers will show an increase. Another factor that can influence future
forecasts for professional teams would be team roster building. Some shocking news that many
Panthers fans received at the end of the 2013 was the departure of 13­year Panthers veteran wide
receiver, Steve Smith. This angered many fans who considered Smith a loyal and dependable
player. Smith was an undeniable fan­favorite due to his passion and emotional impact that he
brought to the game. With the adding and subtracting of new players on the roster, future
financial gains will be affected. The departure of Steve Smith will likely have an impact on how
many fans attend future games. New players such as Cam Newton and Luke Kuechly will help
minimize this impact.
The NFL, as of 2013, is the number one franchise sport in the United States. It constantly
pulls the largest and most diverse fanbase out of any professional sport, beating the NBA and
MLB by a landslide. The NFL has contracts with many popular television networks such as
NBC, CBS and FOX. In addition to this, many Super Bowls have become the “most watched”
event on television for their respective years. This provides team owners with clues and hints as
to what future seasons will bring financially. This goes back to the point that was made about the
comparison between team performance and overall revenue. Owners and managers for NFL
teams are aware that the NFL is at an all­time high when it comes to revenue and fan
involvement and future seasons are likely to reflect that. Every decision that the Carolina
Panthers make, such as releasing Smith, will impact their forecast for upcoming seasons and
every decision will have a consequence, whether it be positive or negative.
Financial Operating Characteristics and Trends
The average operating profit for an NFL team during the 2012 season was $44 million.

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According to past statistics, this is a 7 percent increase from the previous year. This is chiefly
due to the NFL’s overall increase in fanbase and popularity. The Carolina Panthers, during the
2012 season, was the 16th most profitable team in the nation and have recorded making $28.9
million before interest, taxes and other charges. The overarching financial trend for the Panthers
is at an increase for several different reasons. The two main reasons are new television contracts
and extensive renovations to Bank of America Stadium. These two reasons increase the Carolina
Panthers’ chances in obtained new revenues streams.
The renovations to the stadium are sure to bring new audiences to the games that would
have otherwise watched the games on television. Some of the improvements include newer,
larger video monitors, brand new escalators that carry fans to the upper levels, new speakers and
more on the way. Director
of stadium operations, Scott
Paul, stated that, “All of
these upgrades in this first
phase were about the fan
experience… We want to
keep this stadium updated,
we want to keep the
experience fresh.” The team is spending approximately $37.5 million on the current renovations
and there are already plans to make further improvements through 2015 and 2016. This is a very
effective method in increasing fan loyalty and the probability that fans will return for future
games.

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The Panthers, among other NFL teams, will receive a major bump in revenue over the
next few years from national television contracts that start next year. Three major networks
(FOX, NBC and CBS) have stated that they are willing to pay about 60 percent more on average
for every game broadcast on their channel under this new deal. That being said, this will likely
mean an additional $10 million increase in revenue each year for each team.
The Carolina Panthers are also known for spending a lot of time and money on building
the fans experience at the games. The Panthers realize that ticket sales are an essential revenue
stream so the atmosphere on game days is critically important. An example of how the team is
trying to improve the experience of the fans is the Black and Blue Fan Patrol. These individuals
are put in place to keep the crowd fired up during key moments in the game and shoot t­shirts
into the audience. They also make things more lively during breaks or timeouts, where not much
is going on out on the field. Another small advantage that the Panthers have is the incredible
view of the Duke Energy Center. This iconic building lights up blue during the games to add to
the experience that you would not get if you watched the game at a bar or at home.
Financing Options - Obtaining Start-up Capital
When it comes to creating a new team within the NFL, obtaining start­up capital is
critical in making sure that the team does not go bankrupt from all of the expenses associated
with it. These expenses include choosing a stadium site, staffing, and equipment. For any NFL
team, with the exception of the Green Bay Packers, a lot of the start­up capital comes from the
owner of the team. In many cases, the NFL team is either passed down in the family or owned
by someone who either played in the NFL or were already wealthy
beforehand. Jerry Richardson is the man that started it all for the

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Carolina Panthers. Before his idea for an NFL team in the Carolinas, Richardson owned
Hardee’s franchises in South Carolina before going on to become the CEO of the food company
Flagstar. Flagstar is responsible for every Denny’s restaurant in the country. Richardson retired
from this position in 1995, which is the same year that the Carolina Panthers first competed in
the NFL. Richardson originally was going to have the Carolina Panthers inherited by his sons,
however, he forced them out just before the 2009 season for personal reasons. Now, it is
reported that Richardson wants the team sold after he dies, but preferably to somebody who will
keep the Panthers in Charlotte. This has a positive effect for the team financially because if fans
knew that the Panthers would no longer call North Carolina their home, revenue for the team
would drastically suffer. Fans would no longer feel connected to the team and would invest
considerably less of their discretionary income, knowing that the future of the team is uncertain.
Another important aspect in obtaining start­up capital is awareness. Gaining widespread
awareness for a new
professional football team is
important for getting a good
turnout in ticket sales for the
opening seasons. Since
ticket sales are a critical
revenue stream, it is essential
to have a considerable
amount of fans come out to
the first games. Richardson and the Carolina Panthers approached this issue by holding

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preseason games all across the Carolinas, rather than keeping the games in Bank of America
stadium in Charlotte. These preseason games were during the years of 1989, 1990 and 1991,
before the Panthers were even in the league. Richardson did this to highlight the demand for a
professional football team in the Carolinas by making fans aware of the issue. These three
games were held in Carter­Finley Stadium in Raleigh, Kenan Memorial Stadium in Chapel Hill
and Williams­Bruce Stadium in Columbia, South Carolina. The games that were held in these
stadiums were between two existing teams in the NFL to make fans realize that Carolinians
needed a professional football team to call their own.
Governing Laws
The Carolina Panthers have laws and rules that they must follow: both by the NFL and
the city of Charlotte. The most basic rules that the Panthers, like other NFL teams, must follow
concern the team roster. Each team is allowed to have up to 53 players during the regular
season, however, only 46 of them are allowed to be eligible on game days. Also, each team is
subject to a salary cap. A salary cap is an agreement on the amount of money a team is allowed
to spend on athletes’ salaries. These caps can be per player, per team, or both. They were
originally put into place in order to keep overall
costs down and regulate teams so that the
wealthy teams did not become dominant over the
others. Roger Goodell is the current executive
officer and commissioner of the NFL and has
broad authority in governing the league and the
laws each team must follow.

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Many teams have laws, set by the city, that they must follow concerning the stadium
where home games are played. However, the Carolina Panthers did not have to worry about
these laws and expenses during their entry to the league. This is because the Panthers are one of
the few teams in the NFL that own their stadium. The only issues that the Panthers needed to
discuss initially was land for development and permission by the city to create a team. Although
called the Bank of America Stadium today, it was legally registered as Panthers Stadium, LLC.
Even though the Panthers paid in full for the construction of the stadium, renovations were
needed and a deal was made with the Charlotte City Council in April, 2013. This improvement
package stated that the Council would give the Carolina Panthers $87.5 million (to be paid over
6 years) in return for a 6 year agreement that the team would remain in Charlotte.
At the beginning of the 2014 season for the Carolina Panthers, a new sales tax mandated
by the North Carolina General Assembly will be put into effect for game day tickets. This new
tax will change the tax code to apply a 7.25 percent sales tax to tickets and handling fees. This
tax does not just apply to the Panthers, but all collegiate and professional sporting events in
North Carolina. Reasons for this tax increase are to improve fan experience at the games by
adding another revenue stream for the team. This extra revenue will go towards stadium
renovations, team building and performance on and off the field.
MARKET DATA
Charlotte, North Carolina is the largest
city in North Carolina. The population for this
busy city is about 775,000 people according to

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the census of 2012. This city trails only New York City for being a financial center by assets.
Nicknamed the Queen City, it is home to the Charlotte Bobcats, soon to be Hornets, the
Charlotte Hounds of Major League Lacrosse, The NASCAR Hall of Fame, Carowinds
amusement park, the U.S. National Whitewater Center, and the Carolina Panthers. According to
Forbes at the beginning of last season the Carolina Panthers entered the season as the 18th
most
valuable NFL franchise at around $1,057 million. The revenue made is right around $271
million. The metro area population is estimated at right around 2.3 million and the Carolina
Panthers make roughly $47 dollars off of each fan. The city of Charlotte is a very loyal city when
it comes to its pro teams as evident by the support that has brought the Charlotte Hornets logo
back to Charlotte and logistics that show that Charlotte had the 6th
high attendance rate in the
NFL despite being the country’s 25th
largest market. The city of Charlotte and its taxpayers have
also agreed to pay 75 million dollars out of
the 112.5 million dollars that owner Jerry
Richardson is using to give the stadium a
major overhaul, which is coming soon.
Market Strategies
The market strategy of our organization is to
appeal to the southern culture that being
located in North Carolina entails. We want to
market the Carolina Panthers as a football team, but most importantly a family. We not only
welcome, but encourage tailgating at our games. The reason for our continued effort to be
involved in the community is not because it is a league requirement but because we genuinely

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want to not only market ourselves as a family oriented organization, but we want to exemplify
the sentiment.
Market Area
Our immediate market area is Charlotte, which is in North Carolina, but extremely close
to South Carolina as well. We want to focus on appeasing the citizens of both North and South
Carolina, but certainly not limit ourselves to this area as we have fans that come from Virginia
and Tennessee on a regular basis and we have an ever improving international fanbase as well.
Market Segmentation
Behaviorally we want to appeal to a fan that is going to be loyal and enthusiastic. A fan
that is going to buy a lot of merchandise, watch our games on television, and come to a lot of our
home games; once they are at our game one that will buy merchandise from the gift shop and be
willing to spend money.
Demographically, we want to
appeal to anyone who has the
ability to support us. Most
organization have a specific
consumer in mind, but sports
teams are different. We want
to appeal to young children
because they can convince
their parents to spend money; We want to appeal to the young adult who has discretionary

20. 20.
income and not a whole lot of responsibility; We want to appeal to the parents because not only
do they have the money, but parents influence what sports and teams their children will like in
the future;We also want to appeal to the older demographic because the senior citizens of this
country have the most money.
Psychographically we want to appeal to the middle class, everyday fan. We want to build
the atmosphere similar to that of the Pittsburgh Steelers, which is a hard working football
organization which matches the hardworking city that encompasses the team.
Geographically we want to appeal to the fan that can realistically make it to most if not
all of our football games. Speaking from a business standpoint our main goal is to “get butts in
seats” which is where most of the money is made.
Customer Profile
The ideal customer profile for our organization would be a male age 25­40 living in
Charlotte, NC or closely surrounding areas with a stable job and a lot of discretionary income.
Pricing Trends
This season due to our stadium renovations we are raising ticket prices between $2 and
$21 dollars per game, ticket prices had been the same the last four years. The biggest increase of
$21 dollars will affect 2,400 (3 percent) of our season ticket holders. The seats are in the lower
level between the 40 yard lines. 66 percent of the seats, which are located in the upper deck will
go by $2 to $5 dollars. Tickets now range from $41 to $130 but that does not include suits and
club seats due to premium seats being sold in multi year packages. We are proud to announce
that even with the price increase on tickets we are still in the bottom half of the league in terms

21. 21.
of ticket prices. Our average ticket will cost approximately $72 per game whereas the league
average for tickets last year was $ 81.
Competitors
Specifically, in North Carolina we compete with the Charlotte Bobcats for discretionary
income. NC State, Duke, UNC, and Wake Forest are also competition for us; this is because we
are in a basketball dominated region and there are no other NFL teams in the Carolinas or
professional baseball teams. Indirectly, the Tennessee Titans, Atlanta Falcons, and Washington
Redskins are close enough that they can be considered geographical competition for our
organization.
Sales Projections
According to Forbes our organization is the 18th ranked NFL franchise when it comes to
worth as we are estimated at about $1,057,000,000. We brought in an estimated
$270,000,000last year, taking into account our recent success and the up in ticket price we are
implementing this season we are projecting ourselves to make no less than $300,000,000 for the
2014 NFL season.
Mission Statement
To cultivate an organization and community representing a wide variety of individuals at
all levels, all of whom respect, honor and celebrate the broad range of human differences among
us, while also embracing the commonalities we share, and to provide each individual with the
opportunity to achieve his or her full potential as organizational goals are pursued. The overall

22. 22.
objective of the diversity effort is to create a culturally progressive and socially reflective
organization that represents, supports and celebrates diversity at all levels.
Long Term Goals
The long term goal of the Carolina Panthers is to be a perennial powerhouse in the NFC
South Division, and in turn the NFC as a whole. We want win multiple Superbowls, and the only
way to do that is through great coaching, developing, and managing our players. Our long term
goals do not stop on the field, we want to increase and maintain our involvement in the
community of the Charlotte area and over time expand to the surrounding areas of Charlotte, NC.
Short Term Goals
The immediate or short term goals of the Carolina Panthers is to pick the best players for
our system in the upcoming NFL draft. Ultimately our goal this year is to win the NFC South
Division for the 2014 season in route to not only representing the NFC division in Superbowl 49
but winning it. As far as our involvement in the community, we look to see record numbers of
children partaking in the NFL play 60 movement, especially in our Charlotte area. To ensure that
this happens, we will have competitions throughout the season (each month) rewarding the
player that has done the most in the community for that time period.
Performance Indicators
When assessing our short term goal of winning the NFC South division for the 2014
season, our performance indicators will be our monthly record. Additionally, we look to use the
performance of the rookies we draft in this upcoming NFL Draft as the performance indicator of

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the members of our management team responsible for scouting and drafting players that fit our
system. Short term in the community we are looking at a percentage of participation to judge our
organization by. We want at least 85% of the various venues we use for community outreach to
be full for every activity we facilitate this year.
When looking at our envisioned long term success over the next 5 seasons we want to
have 5 NFC South titles and 5 Superbowl wins; with that being stated a mantra such as
“Superbowl or bust” will not be used around our
organization because if we fall short one season we
do not want it to hurt the morale of our team for the
next season. When evaluating our draft class on the
short term goals we looking at their rookie seasons
month by month, conversely on a long term view we will assess our draft picks season by
season; making sure we are not only picking the right players for this community and
organization, but that we are correctly mentoring them, training them, and successfully coaching
the young men on and off of the field. Assessing our long term goals in the community, we want
growth. We want to not only keep attendance rate at an astounding 85% percent, but we look for
it to grow every year until we have to increase the rate of activities we do in the community do
the the amount of request we receive. We want our community to be healthier long term, and we
know that a better tomorrow starts with the children. Healthier children today means healthier
adults tomorrow.
Timeline for Implementation

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The NFL Draft is in May; however we have been focused on the NFL Draft and
upcoming season since we lost to the San Francisco 49ers in the playoffs last season. We believe
that success at anything takes proper care and planning so preparation is a year long process for
us. This offseason will be one of constant growth, Cam Newton has had surgery on his ankle this
offseason which will limit the amount of time our offense will have time to grow together, but
we will suffice by limiting physical practices and increasing time in the film room. With the
Superbowl in our sights for many years
to come the last thing we want to do is
rush our franchise quarterback off of an
injury too soon. This offseason has
been one of change for this organization
as we have had a roster overhaul, especially on the offensive side of the football. Despite all of
these new faces we have on the roster, we will waste no time in acclimating our new players to
the community through outreach programs and the Play 60 movement, which will start after the
NFL Draft so we can include not only new players to our team via trades and free agency, but
also the newly drafted rookies. We have hefty long term goals, however we understand that an
empire cannot be built without the proper foundation; with that being stated we look to make
constant progress, bit by bit, instead of trying to expedite the growing process.
Plan Assumptions
When making our short term goals and long term goals as an organization, there are a
few major assumptions that we have made as an organization: 1. Our players and coaches will
stay healthy; 2. Our players and coaches will avoid getting in any off the field trouble that could

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damage public relations; 3. We are here to stay in Charlotte, North Carolina and this is our
community.
Red Flags
Red Flags are possible signs of trouble and concern for an organization. Past examples of
this with the Carolina Panthers organization would include: Players and Coaches getting in off
the field trouble (i.e. Rae Carruth), players and coaches constantly being sick or injured,
dwindling attendance at our home games in beautiful Bank of America Stadium, especially after
the state of the art renovations, dwindling community involvement in the community events that
we hold as an organization. These are the major problems that we would face, which is why we
properly plan, draft and trade for high character players in an effort to avoid as many of these
issues as possible.
Opportunities
As an organization, our chance for expansion is unlike any other team in the NFL. Before
we arrived in 1995 season, most North Carolinians cheered for the Washington Redskins. With
our recent success and the Redskins’ struggles we have started to win over what is left of the
historical Washington Redskin families left in North Carolina. Even though we are located in
Charlotte we are the Carolina Panthers, not just North Carolina exclusively and we have a huge
opportunity to expand our presence in South Carolina, an opportunity that we look to take
advantage of in the near future. Looking on a much broader scale, the NFL as a whole has a huge
opportunity to appeal more to women, and moves have been made to do such, we as an
organization take this opportunity very seriously and will go above and beyond of league

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protocol in appealing to the women of the United States, specifically the women of the
Carolinas. Additionally, the NFL has started to reach out internationally, playing at least a few
games overseas. As an organization we are not only willing to play a game overseas and increase
our fan base, but we aggressively seeking an opportunity or opportunities to do so if they present
themselves.
Strengths
As stated earlier we are the Carolina Panthers and represent 2 states, whereas there are
many other teams in the NFL that share 1 state. This is a huge strength because we have the
power to appeal to a massive fan base. We represent both of the Carolinas, but additionally we
have fans from Virginia and some in Tennessee as well. This gives us a huge chance to bolster
and maintain our fan base for years to come.
Weaknesses
We are located in North Carolina, which is essentially basketball country. We have not
been established for 20 years quite yet nor do we have any Super Bowl wins, which makes it
harder to gain fans that grew up not having a football team to cheer for or watch, but instead
spent their discretionary income for the year going to Charlotte Hornet basketball games or
attending basketball games at NC State, UNC, Duke, or Wake Forest, programs which have all
enjoyed success before our arrival to this state. Additionally, as stated before, a lot of North
Carolina citizens are still fans of the Washington Redskins because growing up that is the team
that they not only cheered for, but the only team that they had a realistic chance of attending the

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games, geographically speaking.
Risk Analysis
Product Risk: Our product risk as an organization is that no matter who we draft, trade for, or
sign in free agency our football team will not win games. We can never guarantee that we will
win a game, however, with proper planning we look to increase our chances in doing so.
Market Risk: Market Risk for our organization is that we lose our fans interest and support,
either because we do not win enough as a team, or one of our members offends the public and
community; OR the NFL as a whole becomes a “thing of the past” and America is not
enamoured with football anymore which makes it harder to sale tickets and merchandise.
People Risk: As an organization our people risk is that we fill our roster with a number of low
character players, or players that are seemingly never healthy, the same is applied to our
coaching staff and other members of the organization. Additionally, we also risk our fans getting
too close to one of our players and when we as an organization decide to sever ties with the
player our fans alienate us to an extent, which just recently happened with our decision to move
forward without fan favorite Steve Smith.
Financial Risk: As an organization our major financial risk would be paying too much for a
player or coach and it does not result in wins for our football team. Our stadium is undergoing
renovation and if we decide to put more money in the stadium than the stadium will bring in that
is a risk as well.
Competitive Risk: Our competitive risk is that the other teams of the NFC and specifically the

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NFC South which are the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, the New Orleans Saints, and the Atlanta
Falcons are consistently better than us year in and year out which disables us from the making
the playoffs and ultimately the Super Bowl, in turn we would lose casual fans as result consistent
mediocre seasons.
Action Steps
As aforementioned as an organization we cannot guarantee the success of our football
team on the field or guarantee that our players and coaches will make the best decisions off it it,
however we can guarantee that we as the Carolina Panthers will do our due diligence when it
comes to hiring new coaches and signing new players to assure that we are getting the highest
character guys that can. With the explosion of social media there are eyes everywhere and it is a
lot easier for us as an organization to observe players and coaches before hiring them to ensure
that they are someone worth wearing the Carolina Panther brand whether it be on an uniform or a
polo.

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MANAGEMENT PLAN

30. 30.
Allotment of Human Resources
NFL Play 60 Initiative
The two sources that require the majority of the Carolina Panthers team based human
resources are the NFL Play 60 Initiative and the requirements needed to equip and transport the
players to and from practices and games throughout the season. The Play 60 program hosts over
20 events a year so it’s critical that each one receives the proper amount of attention and
resources in order to meet the high standard that the NFL and the Carolina Panthers have set in
the past.
The most influential Play 60
Events are the Carolina Panthers
Play 60 Camps. These programs
are designed to inspire children to
be physically active through fun,
high­energy activity stations.
Each camp session last two hours
and hosts eight stations for up to 200 children. The camps are sponsored by Under Armour,
Academy Sports and Outdoors, and Gatorade which greatly decreases the costs faced for the
Panthers organization. The costs of the supplies provided by the team equal approximately $150
per camp. Additionally at least 8­10 staff members from the Panthers must be present to oversee
the facility volunteers. Hosting 10 events throughout the spring and summer equals a cost of
$1,500 for the organization plus the cost of the man hours.

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The NFL Play 60 Super School looks to find schools and students that demonstrate their
team spirit and enthusiasm for the upcoming season with a Back to Football event that is
centered on youth health and wellness. Each NFL team then selects a school to win $10,000 in
grant funding and a visit from the team. There is no additional costs to the Panthers outside of
the grant funding as player visit are included in the equipment and transportation costs of the
players. In association with the American Heart Association the Carolina Panthers hold the Play
60 Challenge every spring. This is a six week contest that encourages students to lead active,
healthy lifestyles. Participating schools are chosen on a regional basis with the American Heart
Association. This event requires very little in the way of human resources and the only financial
commitment is the $1,000 prize given to the winning school. In total the Carolina Panthers’ Play
60 Initiative is projected to cost $12,500 in prizes and setup costs for the 2014­2015 season.
Travel Costs
For the 2013­2014 NFL Preseason and Regular Season the Carolina Panthers traveled a
total of 19,697 miles. We
estimate the total cost for a
charter jet to cover the 10 trips
that the team made to be
$710,000 based on current
charter flight rates out of
Charlotte. Estimated hotel rates for the players and coaching staff are $250 a room; it takes
approximately 35 rooms for the team and coaching staff totaling $8,750 for a trip.We estimate
the total cost of hotels for the season equaling $90,000. This combined with the cost of charter

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jet costs total $800,000 for the season.
Financial Analysis - How to Keep Solvent
In order to keep financially secure and debt­free, a lot of important decisions have to be
made by the Carolina Panthers. Many of these decisions deal with the team roster and staff
positions, since these are the individuals that are responsible for an immense portion of the teams
revenue. One of the most recent issues was concerning the release of wide receiver Steve Smith.
Some people in management positions viewed Smith as a distraction to the organization as a
whole and decided that a change was necessary to move forward. Although Smith was a multi
Pro Bowl selection, his production had dramatically declined over the past few years. The world
of sport is always (and rapidly) changing and you have to learn to adapt to these changes.
Staying stagnant as a team will have little benefits in the long run. Players and coaches are
always coming and going in order to adapt to these changes.
Another example of a modification that was made
was the release of long­time head coach John Fox. Fox
led the team to a Super Bowl appearance in 2003,
however, shortly after the Panthers experienced a
drought of losing seasons and attendance suffered. In
2008, Fox was denied a contract extension and Jerry
Richardson stated, “It is time for both sides to move in
different directions.” A change in head coaches could be just what an organization like the
Panthers needs to stay afloat in this business. A spark of light has already been shown from new

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head coach Ron Rivera, after a 12­4 season and the NFC South title. “Riverboat Ron”, a
nickname given to him for his love for gambling, has brought some life back to the Panthers
franchise.