Fair Value Measurements (Details) (USD $)	12 Months Ended
	Aug. 31, 2011	Aug. 31, 2010	Feb. 28, 2011
Assets and liabilities measured on a recurring and nonrecurring basis [Line Items]
Money market funds (cash and cash equivalents)	$ 1,854,927,000	$ 1,468,992,000
Auction-rate securities (marketable securities)	5,946,000	15,174,000
Total assets at fair value on a recurring basis	1,860,873,000	1,484,166,000
Interest rate swap (other liabilities)	3,363,000	5,148,000
Total liabilities at fair value on a recurring basis	3,363,000	5,148,000
Goodwill			48,889,000
BPP Goodwill - Losses for year ended August 31, 2011	(197,674,000)	(165,033,000)
Intangible assets			90,658,000
Total assets at fair value on a nonrecurring basis			139,547,000
Total assets at fair value on a noncurring basis, losses	(219,927,000)
Restructuring obligation	13,052,000	0
Restructuring obligation - Losses for year ended August 31, 2011	(13,052,000)
Total liabilities at fair value on a nonrecurring basis	13,052,000
Total liabilities at fair value on a nonrecurring basis, losses	(13,052,000)
Interest rate swap notional amount	47,500,000
Carrying value of debt, excluding capital leases	562,500,000
Changes in the assets measured at fair value on a recurring basis using Level 3 inputs [Abstract]
Assets measured at fair value on a recurring basis using significant unobservable inputs	15,174,000
Reversal of unrealized loss on redemption	772,000
Redemptions at par value	(10,000,000)
Transfers in (out) of Level 3	0
Assets measured at fair value on a recurring basis using significant unobservable inputs	5,946,000	15,174,000
Net unrealized gains (losses) included in earnings related to assets held	0
Quoted Prices in Active Markets for Identical Assets/Liabilities (Level 1) [Member]
Assets and liabilities measured on a recurring and nonrecurring basis [Line Items]
Money market funds (cash and cash equivalents)	1,854,927,000	1,468,992,000
Auction-rate securities (marketable securities)	0	0
Total assets at fair value on a recurring basis	1,854,927,000	1,468,992,000
Interest rate swap (other liabilities)	0	0
Total liabilities at fair value on a recurring basis	0	0
Goodwill	0
Intangible assets	0
Total assets at fair value on a nonrecurring basis	0
Restructuring obligation	0
Total liabilities at fair value on a nonrecurring basis	0
Significant Other Observable Inputs (Level 2) [Member]
Assets and liabilities measured on a recurring and nonrecurring basis [Line Items]
Money market funds (cash and cash equivalents)	0	0
Auction-rate securities (marketable securities)	0	0
Total assets at fair value on a recurring basis	0	0
Interest rate swap (other liabilities)	3,363,000	5,148,000
Total liabilities at fair value on a recurring basis	3,363,000	5,148,000
Goodwill	0
Intangible assets	0
Total assets at fair value on a nonrecurring basis	0
Restructuring obligation	0
Total liabilities at fair value on a nonrecurring basis	0
Significant Unobservable Inputs (Level 3) [Member]
Assets and liabilities measured on a recurring and nonrecurring basis [Line Items]
Money market funds (cash and cash equivalents)	0	0
Auction-rate securities (marketable securities)	5,946,000	15,174,000
Total assets at fair value on a recurring basis	5,946,000	15,174,000
Interest rate swap (other liabilities)	0	0
Total liabilities at fair value on a recurring basis	0	0
Goodwill			48,889,000
Intangible assets			90,658,000
Total assets at fair value on a nonrecurring basis			139,547,000
Restructuring obligation	13,052,000
Total liabilities at fair value on a nonrecurring basis	13,052,000
Bpp Apollo Global [Member]
Assets and liabilities measured on a recurring and nonrecurring basis [Line Items]
BPP Goodwill - Losses for year ended August 31, 2011	(197,674,000)	(156,321,000)
BPP Trademark - Losses for year ended August 31, 2011	(22,200,000)	(19,600,000)
Bpp Apollo Global [Member] | Trademarks [Member]
Assets and liabilities measured on a recurring and nonrecurring basis [Line Items]
BPP Trademark - Losses for year ended August 31, 2011	$ (22,253,000)