Carolina Panthers president Tom Glick speaks to the media after a news conference in Charlotte, N.C., Tuesday, July 9, 2019. Glick and Carolina Panthers owner David Tepper will travel to New York to meet with Major League Soccer officials in hopes of bringing an expansion team to Charlotte. (AP Photo/Chuck Burton)
The Associated Press
CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) - Carolina Panthers owner David Tepper and team president Tom Glick plan to travel to New York next week and meet with Major League Soccer officials in an effort to convince them to bring an expansion team to Charlotte, North Carolina.
Tepper has been working to bring an MLS team to Charlotte since purchasing the Panthers last summer.
Glick believes "the region deserves it. We think the region will support it, and we are confident of that."
He says the goal is to land an MLS team as soon as possible.
Glick spoke Tuesday at a news conference to announce Charlotte will host preseason exhibitions as part of the International Champions Cup for the next five years, including Arsenal vs. Fiorentina on July 20. Charlotte's Bank of America Stadium hosted a CONCACAF Gold Cup group stage doubleheader last month that included Mexico, attracting 59,283.
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Carolina Panthers president Tom Glick speaks to the media during a news conference in Charlotte, N.C., Tuesday, July 9, 2019. Glick and Carolina Panthers owner David Tepper will travel to New York to meet with Major League Soccer officials in hopes of bringing an expansion team to Charlotte. (AP Photo/Chuck Burton)
The Associated Press
Carolina Panthers president Tom Glick, right, speaks to the media as Charlotte, N.C., mayor Vi Lyles, left, and Charlotte Regional Visitors Authority CEO Tom Murray, center, listen during a news conference in Charlotte, N.C., Tuesday, July 9, 2019. Glick and Carolina Panthers owner David Tepper will travel to New York to meet with Major League Soccer officials in hopes of bringing an expansion team to Charlotte. (AP Photo/Chuck Burton)
The Associated Press