The Carolina Panthers have raised ticket prices by "slightly more than four percent" despite the David Tepper-owned team finishing with an NFL-worst 2-15 record last season, per Steve Reed of the Associated Press.

"The lower level seating at Bank of America Stadium will see the most significant impact, with season ticket prices increasing by an average of 7% from last year for permanent seat license owners, according to a team spokesman," Reed wrote. "The upper level seating will see a blended increase of less than 1%, with 90% of those ticket prices remaining flat.

"Premium tickets, which includes club seats and suites, will increase based on the terms in their contracts."

Per Michael David Smith of Pro Football Talk, Panthers ticket prices "are rising by slightly more than inflation; the Consumer Price Index rose by 3.4 percent in 2023."

It's a tough look for an NFL team that arguably just had one of the worst seasons in league history.

Of note, the 2023 Panthers are the only team in NFL history to never hold a fourth-quarter lead. Both of their victories (9-7 versus the New Orleans Saints; 15-13 against the Houston Texans) were the result of game-ending Eddy Pineiro field goals.

Carolina also finished second-last in scoring and fourth-last in points allowed. The team also enters this year without a first-round draft pick as a result of the Bryce Young trade.

As far as how their ticket prices compare to the rest of the league, Reed relayed research from the Panthers:

"According to research conducted by the team, Panthers ranked 19th in the 32-team NFL in non-premium ticket pricing in 2023 and still expect to remain comparable this season despite the 4% increase. The team says its research indicates that 93% of NFL teams are increasing ticket prices for 2024 with four teams still yet to release pricing information."

The Panthers do bring some hope into 2024 with a new regime in general manager Dan Morgan and head coach Dave Canales. And although Young had a tough rookie year, he's still a No. 1 overall pick who entered the league with plenty of potential after a great career at Alabama.

Still, raising ticket prices, on the surface, is a bit of a head-scratcher after a brutal 2023 campaign.