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Former UT Vol Andy Kelly is leading the new team for Tennessee in the upstart All American Football League (AAFL). Kelly was the Vols QB from 1988-91 before heading toward the Arena Football League where he still owns a large handful of passing records. Although he is retired from playing QB, Kelly begins his head coaching career with the Tennessee team for the AAFL based here out of Knoxville.

So what’s the AAFL?

That’s a good question. Even living here in Knoxville we don’t know much about it. However, here’s what we do know. The league is trying to build its fan base out of college football markets like Knoxville, Michigan, ‘Bama, and Florida. The players initially are expected to have exhausted their college eligibility and have a degree from college to be able to participate. Essentially, it’s like a pick-up league of old college players who didn’t make the NFL.

The timing for the AAFL is good with the recent folding of the NFL Europe league. While we don’t expect the AAFL to be a household name anytime soon it is a cool idea to keep the rabid college football fans busy during the offseason. The league has 6 teams based in the most fanatical college football cities. Along with Knoxville, TN, there are teams in Michigan, Texas, Arkansas, Florida, and Alabama.

Some interesting rules of the AAFL are:

1. Four-year degrees are required to play.
2. Teams will have 46-man rosters.
3. The season will run from April 12 to July 5.
4. Games will be played on Saturdays.
5. A college size football will be used.
6. The league will have NFL officials.
7. Some of the rules are based on the college game, such as receivers needing to have one foot in bounds and a live ball on PATs.
8. Overtimes will be played like the college game, but offenses will start on the 35-yard line.