 The Panthers name references the indigenous Bay Area cougar, Oakland's involvement in the rise of the Black Panther Party in the 1960s, and the blockbuster Oscar-winning Marvel Studios movie "Black Panther", directed by Oakland native Ryan Coogler.A team of the same name had originally been announced to play in the proposed Freedom Football League in December 2018, though no news had come from that league after the initial announcement.Because of the rising cost of living in the Bay Area, the Panthers will provide lodging and meals to their players in addition to their regular salary.