Washington ? At the cost of a $1 million fine, the Fiesta Bowl will keep its place in the Bowl Championship Series.

The BCS presidential oversight committee imposed the penalty Wednesday in the wake of a scandal at the Arizona-based game that included apparently illegal campaign contributions from staff and lavish spending by the former CEO on parties and a night at a strip club.

Under the ruling, the Fiesta Bowl can remain part of the system for deciding college football’s national champion, though in addition to the fine it also must meet certain BCS demands such as strengthening the Fiesta Bowl’s board and imposing greater supervision over bowl executives.

“The message is they had cleaned house and addressed their problems, but our group doesn’t believe they went far enough,” Bill Hancock, executive director of the BCS, said in a telephone interview. He added that the $1 million fine was meant to reflect the “serious nature of the matter.”

The BCS called for the money to be donated to charities serving Arizona youth.

Basketball

‘Tractor’ Traylor dies

San Juan, Puerto Rico — Robert Traylor, the former NBA and University of Michigan big man nicknamed “Tractor” because of his hulking frame, has died. He was 34.

Described as a “gentle giant” with a generous smile, Traylor played seven years in the NBA. He is perhaps most remembered, however, for his career at Michigan, where he was a standout for three seasons but became embroiled in a major scandal involving a booster.

Police in San Juan said Traylor was found dead Wednesday on the bedroom floor of his oceanfront apartment. Police and Traylor’s team, the Bayamon Cowboys, said he had been missing for a few days and apparently died from a heart attack.

Tubby Smith had cancer

Minneapolis — Minnesota coach Tubby Smith says he’s “feeling great” and free of prostate cancer after dealing with the disease for the past year.

The university issued a statement from Smith on Wednesday. The 59-year-old had not previously revealed his condition.

Smith says he had surgery at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn., on April 21 to contain and remove the cancer. He says a routine physical and subsequent biopsy last spring showed an early stage of prostate cancer.

Barnes gets raise

Austin, Texas — Texas coach Rick Barnes has received a $200,000 raise that boosts his pay to $2.4 million each season.

The University of Texas System Board of Regents approved the pay hike Wednesday. The motion recognized Barnes for his “commitment, motivation and performance” and the desire to keep him coaching the Longhorns.

Barnes will be entering his 14th season at Texas. He has taken the Longhorns to the NCAA Tournament each season but hasn’t advanced past the second round in four of the last five years.

Baseball

Phillies 2B suspended

New York — Phillies second baseman Kevin Frandsen was suspended for 50 games Wednesday following a positive test under baseball’s minor-league drug program.

A veteran of five seasons with the San Francisco Giants and the Los Angeles Angels, Frandsen signed a minor-league contract with the Phillies on April 1. He became a free agent in December when the Angels declined to offer a 2011 contract.