SPARTANBURG, S.C. -- Wofford College was putting the final touches on its campus as it welcomes the latest group of Carolina Panthers for training camp this weekend.

On Thursday, crews were getting the football field ready for the NFL stars to start practice.

Players will be moving in on Friday and getting ready for the team’s first workout just after 9 a.m. Saturday. Evening practice begins around 6:30 p.m. Saturday. Each workout lasts between 90 minutes and two hours and all of them will be open to the public.

Panther Party 2008 is scheduled to begin at 6 p.m. Saturday and wrap up around 9 p.m. The Panther cheerleaders will be on hand to keep the crowd hyped. There will also be music, contests and giveaways.

Panther camp ends on Aug. 13.

This is the 14th season for the Carolina Panthers, and some experts believe they could be a major contender in the NFC’s southern region.

The Panthers spent much of Thursday hammering out deals with first-round picks Jonathan Steward and Jeff Otah. They were trying to avoid starting training camp with a rookie for the second year in a row.