ATLANTA – The NFL’s team owners approved billionaire David Tepper’s purchase of the Carolina Panthers during the league’s meetings in Atlanta Tuesday.
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Tepper received unanimous approval from the league's 32 owners, including outgoing Panthers owner Jerry Richardson.
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Tepper needed at least 24 owners to vote in favor of him buying the team. Now that Tepper is voted in, he is allowed to attend the NFL meetings as an owner but will not be able to vote because the deal won’t officially close until July.
Pittsburgh Steelers majority owner Art Rooney II said he thinks Tepper, a minority owner in that team, will fit in with the NFL owners club.
"He's a good man, he'll do a great job," Rooney said.
New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft also weighed in, saying, "I think the fans of Carolina are lucky to have someone like him [Tepper]."
Last week, Tepper agreed to buy the team for a record $2.2 billion from Richardson, who brought the franchise to Carolina in the early 1990s. Tepper will be required to sell his stake in the Steelers to take control of the Panthers. He joined the Pittsburgh ownership in 2009.
Prior to the owners' vote, Tepper was required to meet with the NFL's finance committee, which is made up of nine team owners. He appeared to be in good spirits before that meeting Tuesday morning.
Richardson is expected to attend the meetings in Atlanta this week, a source NBC Charlotte.
The NFL is continuing its investigation into workplace sexual harassment and misconduct allegations against Richardson, who announced the sale of the team last December following a bombshell expose from Sports Illustrated. Last month, an alleged victim of Richardson's misconduct came forward to SI on the day of the NFL draft.
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