2003 NFC Championship Game Appearance

Lore & Background

The Panthers were founded in 1993, when they joined the NFL as an expansion team. Their inaugural season was in 1995, where they played as members of the NFC West division. In their second season (1996), they won the NFC West and reached the NFC Championship game, where they lost to the eventual Super Bowl champion Green Bay Packers. The team later reached Super Bowl XXXVIII in 2003 and the NFC Championship game in 2005.

Reader's Guide

The team's home field and headquarters is Bank of America Stadium in Uptown Charlotte. They played their home games at Memorial Stadium in Clemson, South Carolina during their first season in 1995.

Did You Know?

• The Panthers recorded a record of 7–9 in their first season, the best record for an expansion team in NFL history.
• Dom Capers was the franchise's first head coach and won the Associated Press NFL Coach of the Year Award in 1996.
• In 2015, the Panthers recorded a league-best 15–1 record, and quarterback Cam Newton received MVP and Offensive Player of the Year honors.
• The team last recorded a playoff appearance in 2017, losing to the New Orleans Saints in the Wild Card round.