A new Tennessee football team will call Neyland Stadium home beginning with an April 12 game.

The new All American Football League (AAFL) kicks off in 2008 with a Knoxville-based team made up of players from UT and other schools in the immediate region who have four-year college degrees.

The AAFL will pay the University of Tennessee $3 million for the use of Neyland Stadium.

Other teams include Michigan, Alabama, Florida, Texas and Arkansas.

UT athletic director Mike Hamilton said he’s looking forward to the partnership.

“We’re excited about them coming here and looking forward to seeing some former UT student-athletes on the field,’’ Hamilton said.

“The $3 million will go into the athletic budget; our plan is to use it for some capital expenditure relating to football.’’

Hamilton said he doesn’t anticipate any conflicts; UT’s Orange and White Game will be held on April 19 while the Tennessee AAFL team is playing on the road.

Former UT athletic director Doug Dickey, who serves as vice chairman for the AAFL’s board of directors, said the school has priority when there is a scheduling conflict.

Dickey also said there will be plenty of talent on display when the AAFL takes to the field.

“We must have 5,000 players listed — there were lots of folks at the tryouts we’ve had,’’ Dickey said. “We had about 100 in Detroit who had made the last cut of the NFL. Players and coaches are not our problem, I assure you.’’

Dickey said each team will have a 42-man roster, a head coach and six assistant coaches.

A salary cap will be in place, with most players making $50,000 for a 10-game regular season.

Some quarterbacks and other highly skilled players will be paid more, Dickey said, to keep the league competitive with the Canadian Football League and the Arena League.

“Our challenge now is to get ticketing operations up, marketing operations up and television,’’ he said. “We’re in the process of putting a ticket campaign together in Florida. That will be a big step.’’

Dickey said ticket prices at Neyland Stadium for the five AAFL games the Tennessee team will host between April 12 and June 14 will range from $15 to $50 apiece with special membership packages available that will include parking and privileged access to players and events.

San Diego businessman Marcus Katz, a Georgia graduate who made his fortune in the student loan business according to a recent Time Magazine article, is funding the league.

Katz said each team will have a $12 million budget, and the teams’ colors will resemble those of the

collegiate team they are most closely associated with.

“The schedule, with Tennessee playing Florida, Michigan, Alabama, Arkansas and Texas, is pretty attractive,’’ Dickey said.

Dickey also indicated the Tennessee team will likely include former players from Kentucky, and possibly Virginia Tech and Appalachian State, among other schools.

The AAFL was originally slated to kick off last spring, and has had a deal in place to use Neyland Stadium for about a year, Hamilton said.

“The cause for delay was we had three different financing options come at us,’’ Dickey explained. “When you’re involved in that kind of money, it takes a while to work it out.

“We’re in the process of putting together the details of each location, and there’s an office in Atlanta that will be run by Keenan Davis, who was involved with NFL Europe as a player personnel director.’’

Former NCAA President Cedric Dempsey serves as chairman of the AAFL board.

TENNESSEE AAFL SCHEDULE

April 12 Michigan

April 19 at Arkansas

April 26 at Texas

May 3 Florida

May 10 at Alabama

May 17 Arkansas

May 24 at Michigan

May 31 Alabama

June 7 at Florida

June 14 Texas

© 2007, Knoxville News Sentinel Co.