LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Papa John's International leapfrogged two larger rivals to land a deal as the official pizza sponsor of the National Football League and the Super Bowl.

The three-year, multimillion-dollar contract kicks off in the upcoming season and runs through the 2012 season. It's the largest sponsorship deal in Papa John's history, but the company would not specify a dollar amount.

Papa John's, the third-largest pizza company behind Pizza Hut and Domino's, said the sponsorship means it can use NFL logos and trademarks, including the NFL shield logo, in its advertising and marketing.

The sponsorship builds on Papa John's purchase of the official pizza sponsorship of the Super Bowl in early February. Papa John's said it posted its largest single sales day in brand history on Super Bowl Sunday this year, selling more than 900,000 pizzas at its more than 2,700 U.S. restaurants.

Earlier this year, Anheuser-Busch brand Bud Light became the official beer sponsor of the NFL, edging out rival MillerCoors.