Idaho's state Board of Education has voted unanimously to grant Boise State University's request to boost the base pay for its head football coach, Chris Petersen, to $2 million. In a special meeting, the board voted to bump up Petersen's base pay to $2 million for the 2012-2013 year, up $375,000 from the current $1,175,000. Petersen has a five-year contract that includes annual increases, which would otherwise push his base pay up to $1,575,000 by Jan. 31, 2016; the board will consider a new five-year pact later. He is the state's highest-paid state employee, but the money doesn't come from state funds; instead, it's from program revenues, media, public appearance fees, donations and other non-state funds.

"The impact on the university will be minimal," said board member Milford Terrell, noting that the change won't tap into any state funds. State Schools Supt. Tom Luna asked to clarify that no state funds will be used, and was assured that was the case. "I don't have a problem with this and I'm going to support it," Luna said. The AP reports that Petersen is 73-6 in six seasons as head coach for the Broncos.