The Tampa Bay Rays MLB team have acquired an interest in the ownership of the Florida franchise of the new United Football League (UFL).

Although the financial details have not been released, local newspaper reports suggest the Rays have invested a little under US$2 million in the new football team.

Two months ago, Park Avenue Equity founder Bill Mayer spent some US$7.5 million acquiring the New York franchise of the new league. If that figure is anything to go by, the Tampa Bay Rays' investment could have seen them acquire a third of the Florida franchise.

The new four-team outdoor league will hold its inaugural season this October and November, playing a six-game schedule. The Florida Tuskers, as the Florida franchise has been named, will play two home games at the Citrus Bowl, and their 30th October game against the Las Vegas Locomotives is now scheduled to take place at the Tampa Bay Ray's Tropicana Field.

The league, which plans to provide football for markets they consider "underserved" by the NFL, will have teams in Florida (with games in Orlando and St. Petersburg), Las Vegas (with a game in Los Angeles), California (San Francisco/Sacramento) and New York (with a game in Hartford).

Michael Kalt, the Rays' senior vice president for development and business affairs, said the UFL approached the Rays about six months ago. After doing their due diligence, Kalt said the Rays saw owning the UFL franchise as a huge opportunity, citing the "overwhelming demand" for more football across the country. "If we didn't think it was money well spent, we wouldn't be doing it," he said.

Kalt said the amount of the Rays investment "will not have an impact on our baseball operations."

"We play baseball in Tampa Bay," Kalt said. "We see opportunities all over Florida, the same thing as bringing spring training to Port Charlotte, and it's about trying to really develop a regional base of the sports fan across central Florida, the west coast, and down toward Fort Myers. And that's what we've been preaching for four years now and continue to preach."

Kalt said the Tuskers will play more games at Tropicana Field in the coming seasons as the league expands. "We have the Trop sitting empty 200 days a year," he said, "and it's an opportunity to bring more events into the Trop, and provide more quality, family friendly, affordable entertainment to the Tampa Bay area."

Kalt revealed that the league planned to control promotional and marketing aspects quite rigorously in the first season. But he said the Rays plan to more aggressively look at potential cross-promotion between the teams in future years.

Kalt said the Rays would not handle any of the player-personnel decisions, saying "We have a baseball team to run," but added they plan to help bring the "Rays Way" of doing things to the franchise.

"They say baseball is America's pastime, and football is America's passion," said UFL commissioner Michael Huyghue. "Now we get to blend them together."

Under the league structure, the UFL will own at least 50 per cent of all franchises but invites investors. Huyghue acknowledged that the deal was unique but a number of MLB franchises are involved in other professional leagues.

"Cross-ownership is allowed and we currently have it with three teams (White Sox/Bulls, Tigers/Red Wings, Rangers/Stars) with professional sports and the Fenway Group, and Moorad (Padres) with auto racing," Major League Baseball spokesman Pat Courtney said. "We don't foresee any issues and will work with the Rays on anything that arises."

Tuskers coach Jim Haslett said about 45 players have committed to play for the team, with the average player salary US$6,000 a week, with an option for one "wild card" player (typically a quarterback) to be paid more.