Charlotte FC unveiled its inaugural primary kit Thursday night before an excited group of 2,500 fans at Camp North End’s Boiler Yard. The anticipation was high before players for the MLS expansion club that begins play in March hit the main stage promptly at 7:15pm ET to show off the jersey, and attendees were not disappointed. Paying homage to its Carolina roots, the Adidas kit revealed a polished design that resembles the NFL Panthers’ alternate jersey. Lead sponsor Ally is prominently displayed on the front of the jersey, with Centene Corporation serving as a secondary sleeve partner. An outline of North and South Carolina together appears on the jock tag in the lower left corner of the jersey. Attendees were able to buy jerseys at the event; other fans can buy them starting on Monday at the team store at Bank of America Stadium.
DELAYED PAYOFF: Charlotte FC originally planned to debut the kit in mid-November, but supply chain issues delayed that for around 30 days. “When we did the unveiling, we wanted to ensure that we actually had a product for fans to buy,” Charlotte FC President Nick Kelly emphasized to SBJ ahead of Thursday's unveiling. “We’ve been working closely with Adidas for about four months to make sure that once today happened, people had the ability to go out and buy the kit.” Adidas paid an undisclosed cost in order to expedite the shipment of jersey products internationally ahead of the unveiling. Tepper Sports & Entertainment Dir of Brand & Consumer Marketing Dawn Turner spearheaded design efforts for the kit in addition to TSE President Tom Glick and Adidas designers. Charlotte FC did not utilize an external creative agency or marketing firm in developing the kit.
