NFL dumps Papa John’s and hooks up with Pizza Hut in new partnership

Confirming that the folks in the NFL’s New York offices need to get out more often, the league has dumped Papa John’s and hooked up with Pizza Hut in picking its official pizza.

The new Pizza Hut partnership starts April 1, just in time for full-fledged sponsorship before the NFL draft April 26-28.

The new deal allows Pizza Hut to use NFL tickets and “unique fan experiences” for games in its marketing plans.

Papa John’s stock began to dive — reportedly losing about one-third of its value since June — prompting founder and former CEO John Schnatter (the guy in all those commercials) to blame NFL protests.

That didn’t sit well with the folks in the NFL offices, who have signed a multiyear deal with Pizza Hut.

It’s clear the NFL has a real pizza problem.