Even if it were free, the software may have had other requirements that BYU may have needed to provide such as server resources that could not be allocated to that software solution at that time. There are a lot of costs outside of the software itself that end users don’t think about that higher ups have to consider.
Now if it were a complete cloud based SAAS that was offered with no strings attached, that would be pure arrogance and stupidity on BYU’s part for not taking advantage of it.