Are you ready for some football?

After an improved 6-10 season last year, the Carolina Panthers and NFL Rookie of the Year, QB Cam Newton, will converge on Spartanburg next week to commence training camp with an eye on making the playoffs.

After an outstanding rookie season, Newton will be seeking to avoid a sophomore jinx and put the Panthers back in the playoffs, where they haven't been since 2008.

Last season, under first-year coach Ron Rivera, Newton set an NFL season record for rushing touchdowns by a quarterback with 14, and became the first player in league history to throw for 4,000 yards and rush for 500. He helped Carolina improve from 2-14 to 6-10, throwing for 21 touchdowns.

The Panthers 2012 training camp will be held July 27 through August 15 at Wofford College in downtown Spartanburg. All training camp practices are free and open to the public with each practice session lasting between two hours and two-and-a-half hours. (Note: practice times and lengths are subject to change without notice).

Key Dates

• July 27 - Training camp begins
• July 28 - First practice
• August 4 - Fan Fest at Charlotte's Bank of America Stadium
• August 11 - Preseason begins
• August 15 - Training camp ends
• August 28 - Roster cut down to 75 players
• September 1 - Roster cut down to 53 players
• September 9 - Regular season begins

Full training camp schedule here.