Local

NFL targets May vote on new Panthers owner; potential bidder visits stadium

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — NFL commissioner Roger Goodell said the league is still targeting a May vote on a new owner for the Carolina Panthers.

The league hopes a buyer can be found in the next few weeks, vetted and then presented for approval at the NFL meetings in May.

Goodell made that statement from the owners meeting in Orlando, Florida, while a potential bidder toured Bank of America Stadium, according to ESPN.

The stadium Jumbotrons and lights were on as Alan Kestenbaum made his visit.

The Canadian billionaire is one of four bidders for the team in a sale process the commissioner said is getting a lot of attention.

RELATED ARTICLES:

Richardson has been accused of workplace misconduct and in December said he was selling the team.

Goodell said any findings in the investigation of the behavior of Carolina Panthers owner Jerry Richardson will be made public once the probe is concluded. There is no timetable for that.

The potential sale of the Carolina Panthers could now reach $2.5 billion, according to Bloomberg.

Such a steep price tag seems to be too high for one bidder, though. ESPN reports that Fanatics owner Michael Rubin is no longer in the running to buy the franchise.

ESPN previously reported that Charlotte native Stephen Curry and rapper Sean "Diddy" Combs were part of Rubin's group, but now sources said they were never confirmed partners in the bid.

ESPN was also reporting that Rubin could still return to the bidding process.

Three groups have already submitted bids, including Pittsburgh Steelers minority owner David Tepper, South Carolina businessman Ben Navarro and equity firm CEO Alan Kestenbaum.

A source also told ESPN that Salisbury native James Goodnight, the co-founder and CEO of the software company SAS, has shown interest in purchasing the Panthers. It is not clear whether Goodnight, valued by Forbes at $10 billion, has made a bid.

The Panthers franchise is valued by Forbes at $2.3 billion. The record for the sale of a professional sports franchise in the United States is the Houston Rockets, as the team was sold for $2.2 billion in 2017.

Richardson, 81, announced in December plans to put the team up for sale amid an NFL investigation into allegations of sexual and racial workplace misconduct.

He stepped down from the day-to-day operations of the organization after a Sports Illustrated article detailed the allegations. Tina Becker was named the chief operating officer in the wake of the allegations.

After Richardson selects his choice for the winning bid, three-fourths of the 32 NFL owners have to approve the sale. The most likely time frame for that, ESPN reported last month, is during May 21-23 meetings in Atlanta.

Read more top trending stories on wsoctv.com:

Cox Media Group

0

Most Read