On Monday, Tuscaloosa, Ala., made a potentially groundbreaking decision that could change the National Collegiate Athletic Association Permanent qualification.

Charles Bediako filed for a preliminary injunction that would have allowed him to continue playing for the Alabama Crimson Tide after declaring for the 2023 NBA Draft, but a judge denied the motion.

And so, after just five games, Bediako’s season was over Nick Kelly for AL.com.

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Alabama Crimson Tide’s Charles Bediako waits to play in his first college game in two years against the Tennessee Volunteers on January 24, 2026 at Coleman Coliseum in Tuscaloosa, Alabama. (Brandon Samraer/Getty Images)

“Common sense won the day today,” NCAA President Charlie Baker said in a statement. Yahoo Sports. “The court saw this: Professionals trying to get back into college and squeezing out the next generation of students. College sports are for students, not for those who have moved on from their careers and now want to hit the ‘undo’ button at the expense of their teenage dreams.”

“While we’re pleased that the court upheld the rules our members really wanted, one victory won’t solve the nationwide confusion over state laws. It’s time for Congress to stop sitting on the sidelines and help provide us with some real stability.”

Bediaco filed a lawsuit against the NCAA in order to return to his Crimson Tide team, where he last played in the 2022-23 season. 7 feet on center declared as NBA draft After that year, he went undrafted in both rounds.

After NBA players enter college mid-season, John Calipari blasts NCAA: ‘We don’t have any rules’

Bediaco ended up playing in the G-League the past three seasons, including six games this season with the Motor City Cruisers.

However, he was granted a temporary restraining order in January, allowing him to return to Alabama to play for his old team, despite the NCAA initially denying this. crimson tideDemand that he be placed on the list.

Bediaco isn’t the first player to try to return to college after his career didn’t go well.

James Nagy was actually drafted in the same draft as Bediako and shocked everyone when he committed to Baylor. Although Nagy never played in an NBA game, he was the first former rookie to be allowed to play in college.

Alabama Crimson Tide’s Charles Bediako reacts during the second half of a Sweet 16 game in the NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament at KFC Yum! Center plays against the San Diego State Aztecs on March 24, 2023 in Louisville, Kentucky. (Andy Lyon/Getty Images)

It sparked a wave of similar commitments, including G-League players Thierry Darland and London Johnson headed to Santa Clara and Louisville, albeit for next season.

Alabama head coach Nate Oats told Competitor Even if Bediaco cannot play, he will remain on scholarship.

“Charles didn’t do anything wrong. I’m going to support our players every time, no matter what the outside world says, when they didn’t do anything wrong, Charles did everything right,” Oats told the media.

Meanwhile, Arkansas head coach John Calipari criticized the current state of college basketball for allowing players to return to college.

“Does anyone care what this means to 17- and 18-year-old kids in America?” Calipari asked during his nearly seven-minute monologue in December 2025. “You know what this opportunity does to them and their families? There won’t be high school kids anymore. Who’s going to recruit high school kids but a fool like me? I get so much satisfaction from coaching young kids and seeing them grow and succeed and their family lives change, so I’m going to keep doing it. But if you can get NBA players, why would anyone else do that?” G League players, 28-year-old players, players from Europe — do we really know their transcripts? Do we actually know their birth certificates?

“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 just for American kids.'” What? If your name comes up in the draft and you get drafted, you can’t go to college because that’s our rule. “Yeah, but that’s just for American kids.” Okay. OK “

But Alabama believes the NCAA is wrong because players are still allowed to compete in other sports despite turning pro, as is the case with Nagy.

“I respectfully ask the court to uphold the NCAA eligibility rules challenged in this case, which are fundamental to the integrity of college athletics, the educational mission of college athletics, and the opportunities that universities provide to current and future student-athletes,” SEC Commissioner Greg Sankey said in a four-page affidavit filed last week.

Alabama Crimson Tide’s Charles Bediako returns to the collegiate field during the first half against the Tennessee Volunteers at Coleman Coliseum on January 24, 2026 in Tuscaloosa, Alabama. (Brandon Samraer/Getty Images)

The university released a statement following the court’s ruling, Yahoo Sports reported.

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“While we understand the concerns surrounding the competitive and developmental impact of former professional athletes competing in college, it is important to acknowledge the reality,” the statement read.

“The NCAA has granted eligibility to more than 100 current men’s basketball players with professional experience in the G League or overseas. Granting eligibility to some former pro players and not others is what has created the havoc we are currently facing and why it is so urgent for policymakers to be consistent.”

Bediaco returned to the bench and the Crimson Tide won 3-2.

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