While Charlotte may not have the variety of major American sporting cities like Los Angeles, the city does boast a handful of popular sports teams spanning the professional and college ranks. The city may have been starved of major sporting success for a long period of time, but Charlotte fans remain amongst the most enthusiastic and knowledgeable in the country.
Charlotte is a proper sporting city that hosts a number of high profile sporting meets, including events in NASCAR, tennis and golf.
In this article, we present the most popular sports teams in Charlotte.
1. Charlotte Hornets (Basketball)
Arguably the most popular sports team in Charlotte in the 21st Century, the Charlotte Hornets have had their fair share of ups and downs.
Founded in 1988, the Hornets were the first Charlotte-based team to feature in a major American sports league when they joined the NBA as an expansion team.
The franchise relocated to New Orleans in 2002, but the NBA returned to Charlotte two years later in the form of the Charlotte Bobcats.
Having identified with the Hornets for well over a decade, Charlotteans never truly embraced the Bobcats as they did their predecessors.
However, in 2014, they had their Hornets back after the franchise rebranded and reverted to their original name. The legendary Michael Jordan used to own a majority stake in the Hornets, but he still has a minority stake.
Charlotte currently play their NBA games at the Spectrum Center, having moved on from the Charlotte Coliseum. They are yet to win any Championships or Conference titles.
2. Carolina Panthers (Football)
One of the youngest franchises in the NFL, the Carolina Panthers debuted in the league in 1995, and have been an ever-present since then.
Upon their initial entry into the NFL, the Panthers played their home games at the Memorial Stadium in Clemson, South Carolina, but they have been based at the Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte since 1996.
The Carolina Panthers have made two appearances in the Super Bowl, but unfortunately, fell at the final hurdle on both occasions.
They narrowly lost 29-32 to the New England Patriots on their Super Bowl debut in February 2004, and were beaten 24-10 by the Denver Broncos at Super Bowl 50 in 2016.
Panthers may not have gone all the way in their short history, but they have been successful in their own rights with six Divisional championships and two Conference titles.
They are coming off a very ordinary season, but with a new coach at the helm, there is hope that the team can stage a comeback next year. It might be worth taking a punt on the Panthers to go deep into the play-offs, and potentially return to the Super Bowl next season. And with North Carolina now opening up its arms to sports betting, trust sportsbooks in the states to include special offers on the Panthers reaching the Big Game in their upcoming Super Bowl betting promotions!
3. Charlotte FC (Soccer)
Charlotte FC are the newest major professional sports team in Charlotte, having been established in 2022.
Their entry into the MLS followed several unsuccessful attempts by Charlotte to get into the MLS.
Charlotte have made an underwhelming start to life in Major League Soccer, having missed out on the postseason in their debut campaign and losing out in the wildcards in their sophomore season.
While Charlotteans would like to see their team compete for MLS honours, the very knowledgeable soccer city can at least finally lay claim to a team it can call its own.
Charlotte FC shares the Bank of America Stadium with the Carolina Panthers, with the stadium capacity usually reduced to around 38,000 spectators for soccer matches.
4. Charlotte Checkers (Ice Hockey)
The Charlotte Checkers in their current guise have been competing in the American Hockey League, the highest level of Minor League Hockey, since 2010, but the “Checkers” name has been part of Charlotte sports for decades.
The first team to go by the name Charlotte Checkers were formed in the 1950s, and existed up until 1977, while a second Checkers franchise rose in the 1990s and featured in the Eastern Ice Hockey League up until 2010.
The newest Checkers instalment came into being when Charlotte businessman, Michael Kahn, led a group that purchased the Albany River Rats, and subsequently moved the franchise to his home city.
They currently play their home games at the Bojangles Coliseum.
5. Charlotte Knights (Baseball)
Charlotte doesn’t currently have a team in modern day Major League Baseball, but the city does have a baseball history that dates back almost a century.
Long before the days of the NBA’s Charlotte Hornets, there used to be a baseball team addressed by the same name. Baseball’s Hornets spent the majority of their time in the minor leagues up until they were disbanded in 1972.
Then came the Charlotte Orioles, formed in 1976 when promoter Jim Crockett Jr. bought the Ashville Orioles and relocated the franchise to Charlotte.
The Orioles became the Knights in 1988, and like their predecessors, have been competing in minor league baseball.
There are a few other teams in Charlotte featuring in the lower tiers of American sports, while the city also boasts the unmistakable Charlotte 49ers competing in Collegiate sports.
