Atlanta ? NFL owners voted unanimously Tuesday to end their labor agreement with the players’ union in 2011. The league and union, however, insisted the next three seasons won’t be interrupted by a contract dispute and both sides are working toward a new deal.

“We have guaranteed three more years of NFL football,” commissioner Roger Goodell said after the owners used the opt-out clause built into the agreement signed more than two years ago. “We are not in dire straits. We’ve never said that. But the agreement isn’t working, and we’re looking to get a more fair and equitable deal.”

The decision by the owners was anticipated, although not this early. The 2006 agreement allowed either side to negate the contract by Nov. 8. Goodell said the owners acted early “to get talks rolling.”

“I don’t think it was a shock to anyone,” said Gene Upshaw, executive director of the NFL Players Association.

Upshaw said he learned of the move by e-mail from Goodell.

“All this means is that we will have football now until 2010 and not until 2012,” Upshaw added during a conference call. “We will move ahead. This just starts the clock ticking. If we can’t reach agreement by 2010, then we go to no-man’s land, which is 2011.”

The agreement signed two years ago was to last until 2013 with the option to terminate in 2011, which is what the owners did Tuesday. League officials and owners, including several who helped push through the last deal, have been saying for almost a year that while the previous contract may have been too beneficial to the owners, the current one had swung too far toward the players.

The owners noted that they are paying $4.5 billion to players this year, just under 60 percent of their total revenues as specified in the 2006 agreement. League revenues are estimated at about $8.5 billion, although none of the teams except the publicly owned Green Bay Packers discloses figures.

The owners also want a change in the system to distribute the money more to veterans than to unproven rookies. Their argument is based on a disparity in salaries that leaves them spending far more on unproven rookies than on dependable veterans.

Indy picked for 2012

Atlanta – Indianapolis has been awarded the 2012 Super Bowl, the fourth time a cold-weather city will play host to the NFL’s championship game.

The city was a runner-up last year to Dallas, but Tuesday beat out Houston and Arizona for the game, which will be played Feb. 5, 2012 for the championship of the 2011 season. Part of the bid includes a pledge by the city to build a practice facility downtown that will be left in place for local residents to use.

The next two Super Bowls will be in Tampa and in South Florida.

Of the 42 Super Bowls, the three played indoors in cold-weather cities were in 1982 and 2006 in Detroit and 1992 in Minneapolis. Indianapolis also plays indoors.

Saints’ Grant indicted

Blakely, Ga. – New Orleans Saints defensive end Charles Grant has been indicted on a charge of involuntary manslaughter stemming from a February altercation at a nightclub. Grant, who was stabbed in the neck during the fracas, was charged by an Early County grand jury.

Rams choose Wisconsin

St. Louis – After holding summer training camp at home for three years, the St. Louis Rams are heading to Wisconsin. The Rams announced on Tuesday that they’ve chosen Concordia University Wisconsin in Mequon, a suburb of Milwaukee. The Rams also considered returning to Western Illinois University and looked at Wisconsin-Whitewater.

Owner: Rams won’t move

St. Louis – One of the new owners of the St. Louis Rams on Tuesday denied speculation the team will be sold and moved back to southern California. In a written statement, Chip Rosenbloom stopped short of saying definitively that the team would not be sold but reiterated that there are no plans to relocate.

Falcons sign Ryan

Atlanta – Matt Ryan has signed a six-year, $72-million contract with the Atlanta Falcons. Ryan, the No. 3 overall pick in last month’s NFL Draft, is guaranteed $34.75 million in the deal signed Tuesday.