CHARLOTTE — The bang of the Keep Pounding drum shook the tent situated just atop the Carolina Panthers practice fields. It echoed off the steel beams rising behind it, beams that are to make up the Panthers new state-of-the-art practice facility, and rebounded over the two fields farther back, where players stretched and jogged, getting some light work in ahead of next week's voluntary workouts.
Back in the tent, the drum sounded again, then a third time, a fourth, and finally once more as representatives from the Carolina Panthers, the Charlotte city council, and Atrium Health all took a swing at the iconic black-and-blue drumhead. On the final swing from David Tepper, owner and chairman, Tepper Sports & Entertainment, a name appeared on the screen, swaying gently in the wind over the construction site in the background.
The Atrium Health Training Facility.
The name will grace the site of the Panthers' new Uptown Charlotte training facility, set to be completed by summer of 2027.
Located alongside Bank of America Stadium, the Atrium Health Training Facility is designed as part of an integrated, best-in-class environment that supports player performance, team operations, and community engagement in the heart of Uptown Charlotte. The announcement took place during a special unveiling at the future location of the Atrium Health Training Facility, bringing together team leadership, Atrium Health executives and staff, local elected officials, community leaders, and Panthers players.
"This practice facility here, first and foremost, is for the players and the team…but to also be a place for the community," said Tepper. "It's the beginning of a vision."
The facility, in the shadow of Bank of America Stadium, will feature three full 100-yard fields: two outside and one as part of the indoor facility, a jewel in the downtown crown of the Queen City.
The facility will span approximately 101,400 square feet and include a full-size indoor field, a dedicated installation recognizing Atrium Health Keep Pounding Kids, training rooms, a nutrition space, football equipment storage, a video control room, and meeting spaces.
Outdoors, the grounds feature two full-size practice fields that can rotate to help manage usage and reduce wear. The facility is designed to provide flexible spaces for the football team and for engagement with the broader community.
"This field is everything we have," noted head coach Dave Canales on the importance of a well-served training facility. "It's how we do it. It's how we become who we're becoming."
Having one that will serve so many purposes and allow them to train year-round and "deep into the season," smiled Canales. "Late into the playoffs, when it's a little cold, a little wet," will provide opportunities to work every day, even when weather isn't cooperating.
"I think it's awesome, riding the wave, it's been one of those things that, it's cool to see it all come together, to be able to set the foundation, to be able to go through last year, see the excitement around the city," said defensive Pro Bowler Derrick Brown. He, running back Chuba Hubbard, along with legends Muhsin "Moose" Muhammad and Wesley Walls, were on hand to mark the occasion.
"You get a lot of different things done," continued Brown of the facility. "Especially when you're going to go and have the joint practices and all that stuff here and being able to be on two different fields and being able to just kind of keep everything rolling."
The Panthers have watched this facility go from a dream to a reality. While cranes and excavators became the soundtrack to practices the last two seasons (and will continue to do so for one more year), Canales and his team found inspiration in the work.
"I believe sometimes things are in order, then you need disorder to reorder, and we're in this place where it's symbolic," said the coach. "We come out to the practice field, and we understand we're all here to work, and it's a reminder of the progress, the amazing progress that's happening, the excitement around the city."
Added Tepper, "The Atrium Health Training Facility is an important part of the overall transformation of Bank of America Stadium, supporting our players and adding to Charlotte's strength as a destination. Having Atrium Health as the naming partner underscores our shared commitment to performance, and the health and well-being of the people of the Carolinas."
Atrium Health, one of the nation's leading health care providers and the region's largest primary care network, will serve as the official naming partner for the facility, which is an integrated component of the Panthers' broader Uptown training home anchored by Bank of America Stadium and part of the organization's transformation of the venue and surrounding football operations footprint.
The organization has long been a partner and supporter of the Panthers through the franchise's history, with their name on the previous indoor facility as well. This is but the next step in the storied alliance between the two.
"Today is about an announcement for this incredible new training facility designed to help players perform at their very best, and that alone would be exciting," said Eugene A.Woods, CEO of Advocate Health, of which Atrium is a part.
"Thank you for trusting Atrium Health to care for the team and the fans, because that trust means a lot to us.
"But what we're here to celebrate goes beyond the building. We're here to celebrate shared values."
As Woods glanced down at the Keep Pounding bracelet he's worn for 10 years now, he recounted the story of the first time Sam Mills shared the message with the Panthers in 2003, and how the mantra has come to define two organizations.
"That's the same spirit we see every single day in our patients, and we see it in the families facing moments that they never expected. And that is what inspires us at Atrium Health every single day," said Woods.
"It's also the spirit that defines this franchise. That is why this partnership has felt so natural."
The partnership goes beyond just the Panthers and Atrium Health, though. It is a promise and a commitment between the franchise, the hospital, the city, and the neighborhood. Which is why David and Nicole Tepper both snuck over at different points to sit next to Virginia Woolard.
The sprite 91-year-old is a longtime resident of the historic Third Ward—she was born and raised there, moved back a decade ago, and has become the de facto leader of the neighborhood. She hosts fans on game day, parking them in historical warehouses, serving cookies and muffins, a consoling shoulder after losses, and a high-five after wins.
She can't necessarily hear the players practice during the day, but on game days, "I can hear the roar."
And as the Panthers continue their ascension, building off a division title and excitement that is weaving throughout the city, that roar will only grow. It will echo across the Carolinas, bounce off the Atrium Health Training Facility, and back to Bank of America Stadium.
"I take so much pride in being able to bring (the community) a football team that we're proud of, that the city is proud of," concluded Canales. "So I can't thank Atrium Health enough for partnering with us on this and impacting our community."
