The Charles Bediako Case and the NCAA’s Eligibility Problem

By Ryan Paster

Charles Bediako is the latest of the NCAA eligibility court cases in the news. In 2021, Bediako was a highly sought-after 4-star high school recruit, eventually committing to the University of Alabama. In his first year with the Tide, Sediako was elected to the SEC All-Freshman team. After another strong season, Bediako announced that he intended to declare for the 2023 NBA draft, initially planning to maintain his eligibility. However, as the deadline approached, he committed to the draft and forwent his remaining college eligibility.

Bediako spent three years in the NBA G-League, playing for the Austin Spurs, Grand Rapids Gold, and the Motor City Cruise. However, he never played in an NBA game. After this unsuccessful stint, Bediako made the shocking decision last month that he planned on returning to Alabama to continue his collegiate career. He brought this decision to court on January 20, 2026, with his lawyer arguing that the NCAA has been inconsistent in granting eligibility and that Bediako has been harmed by such. Bediako got a brief win, being granted a temporary restraining order (TRO), which allowed his return to the University. TROs are short-term orders, in this case only 10 days, that forbid certain actions until a full hearing can be conducted. The injunction hearing was set for the expiration date of the TRO. 

The court’s decision was met with immediate backlash, and rightfully so. The presiding judge who granted Bediako the TRO was Tuscaloosa County judge, James H. Roberts Jr. Roberts, a confirmed donor to the University of Alabama, gifting over $100,000. After this bias came to light, the NCAA filed a motion to recuse Roberts from presiding over the trial. Importantly, the NCAA’s motion does not allege any wrongdoing from Roberts throughout the trial, including his TRO. Instead, they believed that due to the media attention, Roberts’ connection to the University could damage the outlook of the trial. This motion was granted, and Roberts was forced to recuse himself from the trial. 

On February 5th, the day TRO was set to expire after a brief extension, a new judge denied Bediako’s motion for a preliminary injunction. This injunction would have allowed Bediako to complete his season for the Crimson Tide; however, this decision effectively ended his college career. The NCAA makes its position clear: those who try to return to college sports after playing professionally will be denied eligibility. In his ruling, the judge claimed that Bediako had no reasonable belief that he would be allowed to return to college basketball, since no other players in his position have been able to do so. 

In their response to the ruling, NCAA president Charlie Baker said, “Common sense won a round today.” He continued his statement with a call to action, telling Congress that this case is a clear example of why laws need to be enacted. Congress recently attempted to pass the Score Act; however, the bill eventually failed and was pulled from the House floor in December. The Score Act aimed to limit and regulate NIL deals by creating a universal standard. Additionally, the bill declared that all student athletes would not be considered employees. Yet, the bill failed to pass as critics believed it would foster inequities for college athletes by giving the NCAA too much power.

Although Bediako’s case is distinct, other players have gone from professional basketball back to college basketball just this year. James Nnaji, Thierry Darlan, London Johnson, and Abdullah Ahmed are all former NBA G-League players who were granted NCAA eligibility to play college basketball. Bediako’s case is unique as he is the only player who formerly went to college, and instead of requesting eligibility through the NCAA, sued for the right to play. The NCAA’s stance on eligibility has been nothing short of disastrous, and coaches around the country agree. Tom Izzo and John Calipari forced the NCAA to release a statement saying it will not grant eligibility to anyone who signed an NBA contract. However, these NBA G-League players, despite making a salary from the NBA, are an exception.

Today, Bediako vs. the NCAA is still ongoing. This decision could have monumental effects on the eligibility crisis of collegiate athletics and dramatically change how athletes shape their careers. As it stands, it becomes increasingly difficult for the NCAA to maintain its authority over college sports as an amateur endeavor. Instead, with the newly formed compensation systems and concerns of eligibility, the NCAA seems to be heading down a path to transition into a professional organization.