March 23 | At the NFL league meeting in Palm Desert, CA, NFL owners announce the final timetable for expansion with plans calling for two teams to be awarded in October 1993. |
April 20 | The NFL approves Richardson Sports' plan to privately finance a 72,300-seat stadium with the sale of PSLs. |
May 6 | The NFL and its players reach a landmark settlement regarding a seven-year collective bargaining agreement, clearing the way for expansion. |
May 20 | Jerry Richardson unveils a model and renderings of a royal blue, silver and black, 72,300-seat stadium that would house an NFL expansion team for the Carolinas. |
May 25 | At the owners meeting in Atlanta, the NFL announces the price for an expansion team, $140 million. |
July 1 | A fair share agreement between Richardson Sports and the NAACP spells out far-reaching opportunities for minorities with the Carolinas NFL expansion team. |
July 1 | The sale of luxury suites, club seats and PSLs officially begins. Richardson Sports receives 15,000 pieces of mail from first-day orders collected from June 28-July 1. By the end of the day, all 8,314 club seats sell out and all 104 luxury suites are reserved and ultimately leased. (An additional 33 suites are later added to the stadium.) First day PSL orders total 41,632. |
August 31 | Richardson Sports delivers its financing plan to the NFL in New York. |
September 3 | The ticket campaign for potential NFL expansion cities ends with the Carolinas receiving orders for 104 luxury suites, 8,314 club seats and 49,724 PSLs. Deposits for luxury suites, club seats and PSLs total $54 million, representing a total pledge of $112.7 million. |
September 10 | Richardson Sports gives the NFL term sheets for loans to construct a state-of-the-art stadium and purchase the franchise. |
September 13 | Richardson Sports and Clemson University announce that the Carolinas expansion team would play its first season (1995) at Clemson Memorial Stadium. |
September 22 | Richardson Sports makes a presentation to the NFL Expansion and Finance Committees and league officials, including Commissioner Paul Tagliabue. They report to the league that NationsBank and Wachovia have posted a $30 million guarantee to purchase unsold PSLs. Effectively, the stadium is sold out, and total money pledged is $142.7 million. |
October 26 | At the league meeting in Chicago, NFL owners unanimously select the carolinas as the 29th NFL franchise and the first expansion team since 1976. Owners also vote to delay selection of the second franchise until November 30th with Baltimore, St. Louis, Jacksonville and Memphis still under consideration. |