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A potentially game-changing decision was made Monday in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, that could change NCAA eligibility forever.
A judge has denied Charles Bediako’s motion for a preliminary injunction that would allow him to continue playing basketball for the Alabama Crimson Tide after he returns 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 play in 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 today,” NCAA President Charlie Baker said in a statement released by Yahoo Sports. “The court saw this for what it is: an attempt by professionals to come back to college and crowd out the next generation of students. College sports are for students, not for people who have already given up to become professionals and now want to hit the ‘cancel’ button at the expense of a teenager’s dream.
“While we’re glad the court upheld the rules our members actually want, a victory doesn’t solve the nation’s mess of state laws. It’s time for Congress to stop watching from the sidelines and help us provide real stability.”
Bediako filed a lawsuit against the NCAA in order to return to his Crimson Tide team, where he last played during the 2022-23 season. The 7-foot center declared for the NBA draft after this year, but he was not selected in either round.
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Bediako has ultimately spent time in the G League over the past three seasons, including six games for the Motor City Cruise this season.
However, he was granted a temporary restraining order in January, allowing him to return to Alabama to play for his former team despite the NCAA’s initial denial of the Crimson Tide’s request to have him on the roster.
Bediako isn’t the first player to try to return to college after his time in the pros didn’t go well.
James Nnaji, who was actually selected in the same draft as Bediako, shocked everyone when he committed to Baylor. Although he did not play any NBA games, Nnaji was the first former rookie to be cleared to play in college.
Charles Bediako of the Alabama Crimson Tide reacts during the second half in the Sweet 16 round of the NCAA men’s basketball tournament at KFC YUM! Center against the San Diego State Aztecs on March 24, 2023 in Louisville, Kentucky. (Andy Lyons/Getty Images)
That sparked a wave of similar commitments, including G League players Thierry Darlan and London Johnson heading to Santa Clara and Louisville, though that’s for next season.
Alabama head coach Nate Oats told The Athletic that Bediako will remain on scholarship even if he can’t play.
“Charles didn’t do anything wrong. I’ll stand with our guys every time, no matter what the outside world says when they didn’t do anything wrong, and Charles did everything right,” Oats told the outlet.
Meanwhile, Arkansas head coach John Calipari spoke about the current state of college basketball for allowing players to return to college.
“Does anyone care what this does to 17- and 18-year-old Americans?” Calipari questioned him in his nearly seven-minute monologue in December 2025. “Do you know what this opportunity has done for them and their families? There won’t be any high school kids. Who, other than stupid people like me, are going to recruit high school kids? I get so much satisfaction from coaching young kids and seeing them grow and succeed, and their families’ lives change, that I’m going to keep doing it. But why anyone else, if you can have NBA players, G-League players, 28-year-old guys, guys from Europe, do we really know their transcripts? 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, that’s only for American kids.’ What? If your name is in this draft and you were drafted, you can’t play in college because that’s our rule. “Yeah, but it’s only for American kids.” » Okay. Okay.”
But Alabama believes the NCAA acted wrongly, given that players from other programs were allowed to play this season despite turning pro, Nnaji being one example.
“I respectfully request that the Court uphold the NCAA eligibility rules challenged in this case, which are essential to the integrity of college sports, the educational mission they serve, and the opportunities they provide for current and future student-athletes,” SEC Commissioner Greg Sankey said in a four-page affidavit filed last week.
Charles Bediako of the Alabama Crimson Tide returns to the varsity 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 following the court’s ruling, according to Yahoo Sports.
“While we understand concerns regarding the competitive and developmental implications of former professional athletes participating in college, it is important to recognize reality,” the statement read.
“The NCAA has granted eligibility to more than 100 current men’s basketball players with prior professional experience in the G League or overseas. Granting eligibility to some former professionals and not others is what is creating the chaos we currently find ourselves in and why consistency from policymakers is so desperately needed.”
The Crimson Tide went 3-2 with Bediako back on their bench.
