The NCAA has denied Southern California’s appeal to lessen running back Delon Washington’s three-game suspension for an “ethical violation,” the school announced Wednesday.

Washington, who sat out USC’s season-opening 24-7 loss to No. 7 Penn State in the Kickoff Classic at East Rutherford, N.J., on Aug. 25, will also miss Saturday’s game at Illinois as well as the Trojans’ Pacific-10 Conference opener against visiting Oregon State on Sept. 14.

He will be eligible to return on Sept. 21 when the Trojans, currently ranked 19th in the country, play at Houston.

Washington, a junior, led the Trojans in rushing last season with 1,109 yards on 236 carries.

Paul Bubb, athletic director at California State University, Northridge, has been suspended for five days for his part in concealing that a player had been shot at a party.

President Blenda Wilson also reprimanded the school’s football coach, Dave Baldwin.

The actions stem from Baldwin lying last month, as preseason practice began, about the reason running back Shayne Blakey will miss the upcoming season.

Baldwin originally said the player had an appendectomy.

Bubb will be suspended without pay for five days because he knew Baldwin’s story was false but did not keep the coach from making the false version public.

The university president said Blakey, a sophomore, has been suspended from the team for the season for violating team rules, and he will lose one year of eligibility if he decides to remain at Northridge.