Each participating team in the Bowl Alliance Championship received $8.5 million from the television sponsors.
In 1997, the same problem occurred but with the #1 team in both polls being locked out of the Bowl Alliance's championship game.
As the Big Ten champion, Michigan was contracted to play in the Rose Bowl on January 1.
The Orange Bowl was to be played the next night between Nebraska and Tennessee, the top teams in the Alliance rankings, but only a Michigan loss to Washington State would result in an undisputed national champion.
The Bowl Alliance awarded its own trophy to the winner of its designated national championship game.
It was awarded to the winning coach on the field immediately following the Alliance national championship game.
LaVell Edwards, BYU's head coach, testified in Congress at that time about the inherent unfairness in recruiting for teams who were excluded from bowls simply because of conference affiliation.