MINNEAPOLIS — The 10 Minnesota football players who were suspended this week following a fresh investigation into an alleged sexual assault at an off-campus apartment in September will not play in the Holiday Bowl against Washington State.

The same incident led to three-game suspensions of four of the players earlier this season and now they are benched again along with six of their teammates.

Ray Buford Sr., the father of defensive back Ray Buford Jr., said the new suspensions resulted from an investigation by the university’s Office of Equal Opportunity and Affirmative Action that was separate from earlier investigations into the alleged assault in the early hours of Sept. 3. He confirmed that an attorney for his son and other players planned to appeal.

Buford Jr., KiAnte Hardin, Dior Johnson and Tamarion Johnson were suspended for three games when their names came up in the police investigation. A restraining order filed by a woman who made the allegations prevented the players from being at TCF Bank Stadium on game days because she was involved in game-day operations.

But the players were not arrested, prosecutors decided not to press charges and the players returned to the team. The restraining order was lifted after a settlement on Nov. 2.

The university announced the new suspensions Tuesday night without disclosing why and officials remained silent on the reason Wednesday. The other six players are defensive backs Antonio Shenault and Antoine Winfield Jr., running backs Carlton Djam and Kobe McCrary, and quarterbacks Seth Green and Mark Williams.