Charles Bediako has a new and famous opponent in his fight to retain his college eligibility and continue playing for the Alabama men’s basketball team.
In an NCAA affidavit filed Thursday, February 5, in Tuscaloosa County (Ala.) Circuit Court, SEC Commissioner Greg Sankey asked the court to uphold the NCAA’s eligibility rules and rule against Bediako.
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“I respectfully ask the court to uphold the NCAA eligibility rules challenged in this case, which are critical to the integrity of college athletics, the educational mission they serve and the opportunities they provide to current and future student-athletes,” Sankey wrote in the affidavit.
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Bediako played 82 games in three seasons in the G League and played for Alabama from 2021-23 before Judge James Roberts Jr. issued a temporary restraining order to the NCAA on Jan. 21, making him immediately eligible.
Since winning the legal victory, Bediako has appeared in four games for the Crimson Tide, averaging 9.5 points, 5 rebounds and 1.8 blocks per game. Alabama went 2-2 in those games, falling out of the top 25 in the USA TODAY Sports Coaches Poll.
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Roberts, the Alabama donor, has since recused himself from Bediako’s eligibility case. Bediako’s next hearing is scheduled for Friday, Feb. 6, the day before the Crimson Tide’s road game against rival Auburn. The hearing will be before Judge Daniel Pruitt.
The NCAA argued that the multiple professional contracts Bediaco has signed since leaving Alabama after the 2022-23 season make him ineligible to return to the sport under the organization’s long-standing eligibility rules.
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Sankey agreed with the NCAA’s position, writing in the affidavit that the rules “are based on the principle that college athletics are reserved for current college athletes who are actively pursuing degrees while participating in college athletics, as well as for future college athletes who seek to benefit from the unique educational, athletic and leadership opportunities that college athletics provides.”
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Sankey added that granting Bediako status could “open the door to undermining fundamental principles”.
Bediako’s return to college basketball comes at a time of significant and rapid change for the sport. The 7-footer is one of several former G-League players to be placed on the college roster this season, although Bediako is the only one who has previously played at a Division I level. Former European pros have also joined teams across the country.
Darren Hytner, one of Bediako’s representatives, said in a message posted on social media that the NCAA granted eligibility to players such as Santa Clara University’s Thierry Darlan and Brigham Young University’s Abdullah Ahmed, who have played in the G League, while Baylor University’s James Nagy played professionally in Europe and was selected by the Detroit Pistons in the 2023 NBA draft.
“These exemptions demonstrate selective enforcement and undermine Sankey’s assertion that inconsistent filings exacerbate disruptions,” Hytner wrote. “Courts in similar cases have highlighted such inconsistencies as evidence of arbitrary decision-making. Furthermore, Sankey’s reliance on outdated principles of amateurism and academic integration does not square with the current realities of college athletes and the proliferation of NIL transactions.”
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Hytner added that the affidavit is “riddled with conclusive statements that have no bearing on specific facts or data.”
Bediako has been a source of eternal controversy since his first game back. Several high-profile coaches slammed the development, including Michigan State’s Tom Izzo, who called it “completely ridiculous.” In a 100-77 loss to defending national champion Florida, Gators fans chanted “G-League Quit” at him throughout the game.
Sankey’s opinion on the Bediako case comes as several schools in his conference are in high-profile eligibility battles, including Mississippi State (with quarterback Trinidad Chambliss) and Tennessee (with quarterback Joey Aguilar).
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This article originally appeared in USA TODAY: SEC Commissioner Greg Sankey backs NCAA in Charles Bediako eligibility case