Get to Know Charlotte's Pro Sports
Your guide to the Queen City’s professional sports teams.
Charlotte is home to several professional sports teams that draw enthusiastic crowds of fans ready to root for the home team. Whatever your sports interest is, from football and basketball to motorsports and golf, the Queen City has a team or competition for you to get in on the action.
Carolina Panthers
League: NFL
Season: September – January
Stadium: Bank of America Stadium
Since the team’s founding in 1993, the Carolina Panthers’ mantra, “Keep Pounding,” inspired by former player and coach Sam Mills, has become a message of perseverance for Charlotteans. Hear this message loud and clear when the stadium is packed with cheering fans.
Charlotte Hornets
League: NBA
Season: October – April
Arena: Spectrum Center
After leaving the Queen City in 2002, the Hornets returned to Charlotte in 2014 where the hype for “Buzz City” is at an all-time high. Fans can enjoy themed nights at select home games, including Buzz City Kids Day, Pride Night and HBCU Day.
Charlotte Knights
League: AAA
Season: April – September
Ballpark: Truist Field
The Charlotte Knights made Uptown home in 2014 when Truist Field opened. Recognized as the “Best Ballpark in Minor League Baseball” by Baseball America, Truist Field has quickly become the place to be for a great evening out during the warm Charlotte summer evenings.
Charlotte Checkers
League: AHL
Season: October – April
Arena: Bojangles Coliseum
The original Charlotte Checkers assembled in the late 1950s, but the team we all know and love today made the Bojangles Coliseum their permanent home in 2015. The Checkers enter the 2026 season as the reigning AHL Eastern Conference champions, following an epic battle in the 2025 Calder Cup Finals.
Charlotte FC
League: MLS
Season: February – November
Stadium: Bank of America Stadium
Charlotte FC kicked off its inaugural season in March 2022, earning the second-best MLS attendance record from its first home match with almost 75,000 fans. An average crowd of more than 30,000 passionate supporters fill Bank of America Stadium on match days, roaring with pride for the mighty black and blue.
Carolina Ascent FC
League: USL Super League
Season: February – May, August – December
Stadium: American Legion Memorial Stadium
Carolina Ascent joined the lineup of Charlotte’s sports teams in 2024 as the city’s first professional women’s soccer team. During the Ascent’s inaugural season, the team earned the best regular-season record and won the USL Super League’s Players’ Shield.
Charlotte Crown
League: UpShot League
Season: May – August
Arena: Bojangles Coliseum
The newest addition to Charlotte’s lineup of professional sports teams is women’s basketball team, Charlotte Crown. Playing in the newly founded UpShot League, the Crown bring an exciting new energy center court at Bojangles Coliseum for the team’s inaugural season in May 2026.
NASCAR
From Charlotte Motor Speedway to the NASCAR Hall of Fame, the presence of NASCAR is synonymous with Charlotte. Every year, thousands of race fans fill the grandstands at Charlotte Motor Speedway for NASCAR Cup Series races, the Coca-Cola 600 in May and the Bank of America ROVAL 400 in October.
PGA Golf
The Truist Championship, formerly the Wells Fargo Championship, returns to Quail Hollow Club in May 2026 with a new name. Fans can expect the same thrilling competition and prestige from some of the sports top competitors.
