The Carolina Panthers’ summer training camp at Wofford College drew a record crowd this year, finishing with a total of nearly 135,400 visitors as camp ended on Tuesday, Aug. 16th.
That’s nearly a 75 percent increase from 2015’s record 77,625 visitors.
The record was shattered half way through camp with more than 100,000 fans attending through the seventh of 14 practice sessions. This year’s total was 135,371, with 3,197 fans attending the final practice.
This summer also marked the first time an NFL team invited a high school football team to practice with the professionals. The Spartanburg High School Vikings football team worked out and practiced alongside the Panthers.
Coach Ron Rivera praised the fans for breaking the attendance record. “It’s really neat because when our fans show up in force and do anything for us; it brings energy to practice. The players feed off that energy and support.”