The University of Alabama at Birmingham will provide $350,000 in marketing and naming opportunities for the yet-to-be constructed downtown stadium and pay $25,000 per home football game.

The UA System Board of Trustees on Friday approved an agreement between UAB and the Birmingham-Jefferson Civic Center Authority for the use of the stadium.

Under the terms of the agreement, UAB will lease the stadium for its practices, six to 10 home games and post-game play for 20 years. Rent for the first 10 years will be $25,000 per regular season game, $15,000 for any post-season game and $10,000 for the UAB spring practice game.

After 10 years, the rental rate will be renegotiated.

Currently, UAB pays $15,000 a game to play at Legion Field, which is owned by the city of Birmingham.

Construction on the $174 million downtown stadium is projected to start by the end of the year and be open in 2021.

The stadium is a part of a $300 million BJCC expansion project, which is being funded by the BJCC, Birmingham, Jefferson County, UAB and corporate partners and a 3-percent tax on car leases and rentals in Jefferson County

Approval of the project agreement between UAB and BJCC will allow the BJCC Authority to move forward with the financing of the project. The authority is expected to go to the bond market this month.

A complete lease agreement hasn't been negotiated yet.

UAB and its corporate partners previously committed to a combined $4 million a year for 10 years through a lease agreement, sponsorship and naming rights. Today's approval from the UA System formalizes that agreement.

According to the agreement, UAB will host approximately six to 10 home football games and other football program team-related events. Post-season games or the Conference USA Championship game will be hosted at the new stadium.

According to the agreement, all UAB games have scheduling priority over any other events. UAB football will receive 20 complimentary practice days a year.