Alabama player Charles Bediako loses court case against NCAA
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A potentially groundbreaking decision was made in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, on Monday that could change NCAA eligibility forever.
A judge denied Charles Bediako’s request for a preliminary injunction that would have allowed him to continue playing basketball for the Alabama Crimson Tide upon his return despite declaring for the 2023 NBA Draft.
Thus, after just five matches, Bediako’s season was over. Nick Kelly from AL.com.
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Charles Bediako of the Alabama Crimson Tide looks to make his first collegiate appearance in two years during the first half against the Tennessee Volunteers at Coleman Coliseum on January 24, 2026 in Tuscaloosa, Alabama. (Brandon Sumrall/Getty Images)
“Common sense won a round today,” NCAA president Charlie Baker said in a statement. Yahoo Sports. “The court saw this for what it was: an attempt by the pros to get back into college and lock out the next generation of students. College sports are for students, not for people who have already left to become pros and now want to hit the ‘undo’ button at the expense of a teenager’s dream.”
“While we are pleased that the court approved the rules our members actually wanted, one win does not resolve the national tangle of state laws. It is time for Congress to stop watching from the sidelines and help us provide real stability.”
Bediako filed a lawsuit against the NCAA to return to the Crimson Tide squad, where he last played in the 2022-23 season. The 2-meter center announced that he would enter the NBA Draft later that year, but was not selected in two rounds.
JOHN CALIPARI DEMOLITED THE NCAA AFTER THE NBA PLAYER ENTERED COLLEGE MID-SEASON: ‘WE HAVE NO RULES’
Bediako has played in the G League the past three seasons and started six games for the Motor City Cruise this season.
But in January, he received a temporary restraining order allowing him to return to Alabama and play for his former team, despite the NCAA initially denying the Crimson Tide’s request to roster him.
Bediako is not the first player whose attempt to return to college after turning pro did not pan out.
In fact, James Nnaji, who was drafted in the same draft as Bediako, shocked everyone when he transferred to Baylor. Although Nnaji did not play in an NBA game, he was the first former draft player allowed to play in college.
Alabama Crimson Tide’s Charles Bediako reacts in the second half of the Sweet 16 round of the NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament held at KFC YUM! Center against the San Diego State Aztecs on March 24, 2023 in Louisville, Kentucky. (Andy Lyons/Getty Images)
That set off a similar wave of commitments that included G League players Thierry Darlan and London Johnson heading to Santa Clara and Louisville, albeit for next season.
Alabama head coach Nate Oats explained Athletic Even if Bediako cannot play, he will remain on scholarship.
“Charles did nothing wrong. No matter what the outside says, while they did nothing wrong and Charles did everything right, I will always be there for our guys,” Oats said in a statement to the press.
Meanwhile, Arkansas head coach John Calipari spoke about the current state of college basketball to allow players to return to college.
“Does anyone care what this does to 17- and 18-year-old American kids?” In his nearly seven-minute monologue in December 2025, Calipari asked: “Do you know what this opportunity does to them and their families? There will be no high school kids. Who is going to recruit high school kids other than stupid people like me? I get so much satisfaction from coaching young kids and seeing them grow and succeed and their families’ lives change, I’m going to keep doing it. But why would anyone else if you can get NBA players, G-League players, 28-year-old guys, European guys – their transcripts?” Do we really know? Do we really know someone’s birth certificate there?
“If you put your name in the draft, I don’t care if you’re from Russia and you get drafted, you can’t play college basketball. ‘Well, that’s just for American kids.’ What? If your name is in that draft and you are drafted, you cannot play in college because that is our rule. ‘Yes, but it’s only for American kids.’ OK. Okay.”
However, Alabama feels this was done incorrectly by the NCAA considering that players were allowed to play for other programs this season despite being professionals; Nnaji is an example of this.
“I respectfully ask the court to uphold the NCAA eligibility rules at issue in this case that are essential to the integrity of college sports, the educational mission they serve, and the opportunities they provide to current and future student-athletes,” SEC commissioner Greg Sankey said in a four-page statement filed last week. he said.
Alabama Crimson Tide’s Charles Bediako returns to the varsity field during the first half against the Tennessee Volunteers at Coleman Coliseum in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, on January 24, 2026. (Brandon Sumrall/Getty Images)
The university added a statement following the court’s decision, according to Yahoo Sports.
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“While we understand concerns about the competitive and developmental outcomes of former professional athletes attending college, it is important to acknowledge the reality,” the statement said. The statement was included.
“The NCAA has granted eligibility to more than 100 current men’s basketball players with professional experience in the G League or overseas. Giving eligibility to some former pros and not others is what created the mess we’re in now and why consistency from decision-makers is so urgently needed.”
The Crimson Tide won 3-2 with Bediako benched.
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