23-year-old Charles Bediako immediately eligible to play for Alabama after suing NCAA

Former Alabama center Charles Bediako is now current Alabama center Charles Bediako after suing the NCAA, granted a temporary restraining order to make him immediately eligible to play for the Crimson Tide.

No, seriously. This is a real thing happening as we speak, the 7-footer now officially cleared to practice and play this weekend against Tennessee on January 24. It’s a 10-day restraining order with a hearing scheduled for Jan. 27 on the motion for a preliminary injunction, according to court documents obtained by Nick Kelly of AL.com.

This news comes not even 24 hours after the NCAA released a statement on Bediako’s lawsuit, vehemently pushing back on his eligibility after the Canadian big man signed not one, not two, but three different NBA contracts.

“The NCAA is aware of media reports about a lawsuit filed against the NCAA by Charles Bediako,” the statement said. “Mr. Bediako signed three NBA contracts after competing in college for two seasons. The NCAA has not and will not grant eligibility to any prospective or returning student-athletes who have signed an NBA contract. Eligibility rules ensure high school students get a shot at earning scholarships, and we will continue to consistently apply and defend these rules.”

Well, so much for any of that. He’s playing for the Tide this weekend.

Bediako went undrafted in 2023 and joined the Austin Spurs in the G League with his deal later converted into a two-way contract. He then suited up for the Grand Rapids Gold in 2024-25 and had been on the Motor City Cruise this season before returning to college. The 23-year-old just had four points and three rebounds in a 127-103 win for the Cruise on Jan. 17, playing five minutes. He had been averaging 4.4 points and 6.8 rebounds in 17.6 minutes per contest.

The key factor in all of this: Bediako never registered a minute in an official NBA game.

His complaint was filed with the Tuscaloosa Circuit Court on Tuesday, Jan. 20 and he has already enrolled at UA. This would be his final semester of eligibility, technically within the five-year competition window for student-athletes after joining the program in 2021.

He averaged 6.7 points, 4.3 rebounds and 1.5 blocks per contest as a freshman, followed by 6.4 points, 6.0 rebounds and 1.8 blocks per game as a sophomore with the Tide.

The NCAA sure has this stuff under control, huh?