On October 26, 1993, after six years of hopeful anticipation, the Carolina Panthers were awarded an NFL expansion franchise. Fireworks exploded over downtown Charlotte as jubilant fans gathered to celebrate the news. "This is a dream come true for me and my partners and for the 10 million people in the Carolinas," said Jerry Richardson, the former Baltimore Colts wide receiver turned businessman who led the Carolinas' bid.

On June 3, Richardson Sports revealed its impressive plan to privately finance a 72,300-seat stadium. Sale of Permanent Seat Licenses, club seats and luxury boxes began on July 1. A remarkable 15,000 pieces of mail from first-day orders were collected. By the end of the first day, all 8,314 club seats were sold out and all 104 luxury suites were reserved and ultimately leased. First-day PSL orders totaled 41,632. Finally, on October 26, 1993, the NFL owners unanimously selected the Carolinas as the 29th NFL franchise and the first expansion team since 1976.

The Panthers played their first-ever game in Canton, Ohio in the annual AFC-NFC Hall of Fame Game. Their opponent in the pre-season classic was the NFL's other expansion franchise, the Jacksonville Jaguars. Although the Panthers came away with a 20-14 victory, it was apparent that both teams had benefited from the NFL's expansion draft and the free-agent market and were ready to compete in the NFL. The Panthers not only were competitive in their inaugural season, but established a new NFL record for most wins by an expansion team by posting an impressive 7-9 record. The team improved dramatically during its second season, winning the NFC Western division with a 12-4 record and advancing to the NFC Championship Game. In 2003, the Panthers, just two seasons removed from a 1-15 season won the NFC championship to earn a berth in Super Bowl XXXVIII. The Super bowl appearance by the Panthers sparked interest in Carolina Panther tickets.