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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 motion for a preliminary injunction that would have allowed him to continue playing basketball for the Alabama Crimson Tide after he returned despite declaring for the 2023 NBA Draft.
So after just five games, Bediako’s season is over, according to AL.com’s Nick Kelly.
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Charles Bediako of the Alabama Crimson Tide waits to enter his first collegiate game 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 to Yahoo Sports. “The court saw this for what it is: an attempt by professionals to return to college and crowd out the next generation of students. College sports are for students, not for people who have already gone pro and now want to hit the ‘undo’ button at the expense of a teenager’s dream.”
“While we’re glad the court upheld the rules our members actually want, a win doesn’t fix the national mess of state law. It’s time for Congress to stop watching from the sidelines and help us provide some actual stability.”
Bediako filed a lawsuit against the NCAA to return to his Crimson Tide team, where he last played in the 2022-23 season. The 7-foot center declared for the NBA Draft after that year, but he went unselected in the two rounds.
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Bediako eventually spent time in the G League over the past three seasons, which includes six games for the Motor City Cruise this season.
However, he received a temporary ban in January that allowed him to return to Alabama to play for his old team despite the NCAA initially denying the Crimson Tide’s request to have him on the roster.
Bediako isn’t the first player to try to return to college after going pro didn’t go too well.
James Nnaji, who was actually taken in the same draft as Bediako, shocked everyone when he committed to Baylor. Although he had not played in an NBA game, Nnaji was the first former draftee to be cleared to play in college.
Charles Bediako of the Alabama Crimson Tide reacts during the second half of the Sweet 16 round of the NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament at the KFC YUM! Center against the San Diego State Aztecs on March 24, 2023 in Louisville, Kentucky. (Andy Lyons/Getty Images)
That started a wave of similar commitments that include G Leaguers Thierry Darlan and London Johnson headed to Santa Clara and Louisville, though for next season.
Alabama head coach Nate Oats told The Athletic that Bediako will remain on scholarship even if he can’t play.
“Charles has done nothing wrong. I will stand by our guys every single time, no matter what outsiders say, when they have done nothing wrong and Charles has done everything right,” Oats told the outlet.
Meanwhile, Arkansas head coach John Calipari read off on the current state of college basketball for allowing players to go back to college.
“Does anyone care what this is doing to 17- and 18-year-old American kids?” Calipari questioned his nearly seven-minute monologue in December 2025. “You know what this opportunity has done for them and their families? There’s not going to be any high school kids. Who, besides stupid people like me, is going to recruit high school kids? I get so much satisfaction out of coaching young kids and watching them grow and make it change and why their family would change it. anybody else, if you can get NBA players, G-League players, guys, there are 28 guys from europe – do we really know their transcript do we really know their birth certificate?
“If you put your name in the draft, I don’t care if you’re from Russia and you stay in the draft, you can’t play college basketball. “Well, it’s only for American kids.” What? If your name is in that draft and you got drafted, you can’t play college because that’s our rule. “Yeah, but it’s only for American kids.” OK. OK.”
But Alabama feels it has been wronged by the NCAA considering players at other programs have been allowed to play this season despite turning pro, with Nnaji being an example.
“I respectfully ask the court to uphold the NCAA’s eligibility rules challenged in this case, which are vital to the integrity of college sports, to the educational mission they serve and to the opportunities they provide for current and future student-athletes,” SEC Commissioner Greg Sankey said in a four-page statement filed last week.
Charles Bediako of the Alabama Crimson Tide returns to the college court during the first half against the Tennessee Volunteers at Coleman Coliseum on January 24, 2026 in Tuscaloosa, Alabama. (Brandon Sumrall/Getty Images)
The university added a statement after the court’s decision, according to Yahoo Sports.
“While we understand the concern about the competitive and developmental implications of former professional athletes participating in college, it is important to acknowledge the reality,” the statement read.
“The NCAA has granted eligibility to over 100 current men’s basketball players with prior professional experience in the G League or overseas. Granting eligibility to some former pros and not to others is what creates the chaos we are in right now and why consistency from decision makers is so desperately needed.”
The Crimson Tide went 3-2 with Bediako back on their bench.
