Bank of America Stadium field to be covered during winter storm

Chopper 9 flew over Bank of America Stadium Thursday where field crews were getting the turf ready and painted NFC Championship Game logos on the field.

By Mark Becker

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Everyone appears to be concerned about Charlotte’s first winter storm of the season, except for Carolina Panthers fans.

“The weather's not an issue. We did fine last week with the weather,” said Liam Bishop, as he awaited Luke Kuechly’s arrival at practice Thursday morning.

Bishop was one of about 80 Panthers fans who showed up for what has become a ritual since the team went on its playoff run.

Fans have been gathering outside the practice facility in hopes of snagging an autograph or two gearing up for the game.

“(On a scale of one to 10) I’d say this is a 12 or 15. This game is huge,” said Patrick Hughes, who brought his son to the practice with him.

But weather could make a huge mess of the field, and after complaints about the turf in the first playoff game, the man in charge of the stadium said they plan to cover the field long before the precipitation arrives.

“Those tarps will stay down until the precipitation's out of here, hopefully Saturday afternoon,” said Scott Paul, executive director of Stadium Operations.

Paul said they plan to put salt and whatever else they need down on sidewalks to make sure fans can get to the stadium safely.

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