Tom Brady's agent starting new pro league as alternative to college football

There will soon be an alternative option for college football players who are hoping to be paid.

Don Yee, the agent for New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady, is starting a professional football league called Pacific Pro. The league is set to debut in Southern California in 2018 with four teams.

"It's a good time to start a development league and give players a choice and an option to consider other than the well-worn path to professional football," Yee told Matthew Futterman of The Wall Street Journal.

The league will pay players an average salary of $50,000 per season with benefits and take place over July and August. Teams will play eight games followed by a playoff.

Former NFL receiver Ed McCaffrey is co-founding the league and former head coach Mike Shanahan will serve on the advisory board.

The one unique thing that separates Pacific Pro from other attempted leagues like the XFL or USFL, is there will be no individual franchises. The league will control all personnel decisions for the four teams.

Players between the ages of 18 and 22 are permitted to play, giving those out of high school another option other than just college football. The NCAA is not willing to pay players, so Pacific Pro could be attractive to some who need to wait three years before jumping to the NFL.

"The business model of American football hasn't seen any innovation at its core in a long time," Yee said. "There is innovation in every other part of society. I think we could be a good supplement for what is out there."