The Carolina Panthers are a professional American football team based in Charlotte, North Carolina. The Panthers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) South division. They play their home games at Bank of America Stadium in Uptown Charlotte, which also houses the team's headquarters. The franchise represents both North Carolina and South Carolina; while its Charlotte stadium was under construction, the Panthers played their inaugural 1995 season at Memorial Stadium in Clemson, South Carolina.