The new competition, to be known as the T-League, will mark the return of state wide league football in Tasmania , which has been separated into Northern and Southern Premier Divisions since 2000.
 
While the T-League is an initiative of Football Federation of Tasmania, the plan has FFA support who will provide coaching and youth development.
 
They see it as a vital step towards the governing body’s National Competitions Review and its move towards a series of standardised League across the states.
 
The deadline for applications from clubs eager to compete in the new league is until May 18 and FFT believes the initiative will prove a success.
 
Ben McKay, a spokesman for the federation said, “While FFT is confident of the T-League kicking off in 2013, it is dependent on sponsorship being confirmed and we are currently in the process of securing this.
 
"If sponsorship is not forthcoming, we will seek to introduce the league in 2014.”
 
Places in the new competition will be allocated on merit and FFT insist teams from the state’s major football centres of Hobart, Launceston, Devonport and Burnie will have to earn their place.
 
“Applications will be assessed by an impartial committee which will make a recommendation to FFT for the eight best sides. These teams could be from any region,” said McKay.
 
“Although we anticipate successful bids from each region, (we also expect) strong representation from the South, given the strength of the Southern Premier League.
 
“For the eight teams that are successful in entering the league, FFT will guarantee their place - and expect that they hold this place – in the league for the first three seasons.
 
“We are not closed to changes being made to the T-League in the early years but our natural disposition is to keep the league as is for three seasons so a proper assessment of how the new structures are working can be made and we can avoid knee-jerk decisions in the State League's earlier years.
 
“The T-League needs to be sustainable in the long-term and needs to be sustainable for the clubs. This is FFT's core focus as we work with clubs to build the league.”
 
One of the strongest clubs in the current Southern Premier League is South Hobart FC and club president Vicki Woods welcomed the formation of the new statewide league.
 
“If there is any possibility of South Hobart FC entering a competition at a higher level than we are currently playing we would use all our endeavours to be eligible to enter it,” Woods said.
 
“I am of the belief that we must be in this competition if we are to continue improving the standard of football in Tasmania.”
 
Woods also welcomed the possibility of the club competing in the mooted Australian Premier League Champions League series.
 
“South Hobart FC would thrive on more interstate competition and that is why at considerable expense to our club we bring Melbourne based teams here to compete against us and travel interstate to compete against Premier League teams,” she said.
 
“We have many very talented young players, some only 17 and 18 currently playing first team football for us. We are currently striving to win our fifth consecutive Premier League title and some of our young players have already achieved this highest honour. Where to next for these young players?”
 
South Hobart also maintains close ties to the Tasmania United A-League bid, with the club’s coaching overseen by Ken Morton, a member of the bid’s task force and a one time Manchester United youth player.
 
The Tasmanian expansion bid currently appears stalled though as the A-League seeks to consolidate its position within the Australian sports market. The FFA confirming that they will not investigate further expansion of the A-League until 2015 at the earliest.