Oklahoma State’s Bryant still ineligible

Oklahoma State All-American wide receiver Dez Bryant will remain suspended for the rest of the football season, the NCAA ruled Tuesday.

The junior will not be eligible to play until September 2010, possibly bringing an end to the college career of the top pro prospect. Bryant will be eligible to enter next year’s NFL draft.

The school plans to appeal the decision to the NCAA Student-Athlete Reinstatement Committee, but athletic department spokesman Kevin Klintworth declined further comment.

The university announced on Oct. 7 Bryant was declared ineligible for lying to the NCAA about his relationship with former NFL star Deion Sanders. He has sat out the last four games for the No. 13 Cowboys (6-1, 3-0 Big 12), who host No. 3 Texas on Saturday night in a game that will likely determine which team plays for the Big 12 championship.

Arrest made in UConn case

Police charged a 21-year-old man with murder in the stabbing death of a University of Connecticut football player outside a school-sanctioned dance, where the suspect’s lawyer says he was just trying to break up a fight.

John William Lomax III is scheduled to appear in court today on charges of murder and conspiracy to commit assault in the Oct. 18 death of Jasper Howard, police said. His bond was set at $2 million.

Police also arrested two other people in connection with the fight that led to Howard’s death. Hakim Muhammad, 20, was charged with conspiracy to commit assault and Jamal Todd, 21, faces a felony charge of falsely reporting an incident and a misdemeanor charge of reckless endangerment for pulling a fire alarm that emptied the dance early that Sunday morning.

Michigan says it’s cooperating

Michigan Coach Rich Rodriguez says he and his staff are being “totally cooperative” with an NCAA investigation of his program.

The university started its own probe in August after the Detroit Free Press cited anonymous players saying their workouts exceeded NCAA time limits.

In a Big Ten conference call, Rodriguez said he’d “love for this to be over as soon as possible” but understands the need for due process.

Major injuries

Iowa running back Adam Robinson is likely out for at least the rest of the regular season because of an ankle injury.

Coach Kirk Ferentz said he was hopeful Robinson could return for a bowl game after suffering a high left ankle sprain in last week’s 15-13 win at Michigan State. The back said he was hurt late in the game.

Elsewhere, Minnesota star wide receiver Eric Decker will miss the rest of the regular season because of a foot injury.

Etc.

Quarterback Patrick Pinkney ran for two touchdowns to help East Carolina (5-3, 4-1) to a 38-19 win over host Memphis (2-7, 1-5) in a Conference USA game. . . . Stanford left tackle Allen Smith will sit out four to six weeks because of a sprained right knee, a tough break for the sixth-year senior who had worked his way back after being sidelined the last two seasons because of serious left knee injuries. . . . Miami linebacker Sean Spence has an injured left knee and will not play Saturday when the 18th-ranked Hurricanes visit Wake Forest. . . . Top-ranked Florida could have four key defenders, including linebacker Brandon Spikes, back against Georgia on Saturday.