and was one of the factors that began the move to independence. ESPN was impressed with the viewership for that game. That got them interested, and eventually teamed up with each other.

No other non-bcs school could have come near that kind of deal (including Utah, who was still a non-AQ school at that time). Boise St was probably the other school that could get a similar deal, but I doubt they could get what BYU got.