In 2003 with John Fox as head coach, the Panthers qualified for Super Bowl XXXVIII by winning the NFC. The Panthers were 12-4 in 1996 and went all the way to the 1997 NFC Championship Game. Led by the franchise’s first head coach Dom Capers, Carolina almost went to the Super Bowl in just its second season. Local fans did not have to wait all that long for the Panthers to make an impact in the league. The Carolina Panthers were one of two new NFL expansion franchises to begin play in 1995. More recently, this has become a popular betting team in southern states with legal sports betting. The Carolina Panthers have been a mainstay among southern NFL fans for close to three decades.
