SPARTANBURG, S.C. – A record number of fans came out to Wofford College this summer to watch the Carolina Panthers practice during the 20th training camp held in Spartanburg. More than 49,000 visitors were recorded by the Spartanburg Convention and Visitors Bureau, an increase of 11 percent over 2013.
“Attendance is up almost 50 percent from just a few years ago,” says Chris Jennings, director of the CVB. “We are very excited about the support of the Panthers our community and visitors showed this season. We had hoped to top 50,000 visitors by the end of camp, but rainy weather over the last few days of camp kept that from happening. Still, attendance reflected the excitement fans have for this team.” The total number of fans attending this year was 49,029.
The CVB conducted a study this summer to gauge the spending and economic impact of visitors to training camp, and Jennings says he expects it to top the $2 million figure from 2011. Results will be released soon.
“We were very happy with training camp this year,” says Richard Johnson, director of athletics at Wofford. “The college and the Spartanburg community are blessed to continue to be the summer home for the Panthers, and the organization has worked hard to engage its fans here and to make this one of the most fan-friendly experiences in the NFL. It’s a real pleasure to have the team on our campus, and to be able to showcase ourselves to the community and the visitors who flock here.”
The Carolina Panthers completed their 20th year of training camp Tuesday at Wofford, where the team has practiced since its first season in 1995. Team owner and founder Jerry Richardson played wide receiver for the Terriers and earned All-America football honors while at Wofford.