Former Alabama Crimson Tide star Charles Bediako has officially brought an end to his legal battle to regain college eligibility ahead of March Madness. The 24-year-old center voluntarily dismissed his lawsuit against the NCAA, effectively giving up the fight to regain eligibility for the 2025-26 season, per a post on X by journalist Nick Kelly.
Bediako filed the motion for voluntary dismissal in Tuscaloosa County court after previously having returned to the Alabama lineup in January 2026. The case had been filed after Bediako sought a return to college basketball after his stint as a pro in the NBA G League, where he played from 2023 until late January 2026, when his contract was terminated.
Bediako initially filed the lawsuit in January after the NCAA ruled him ineligible to return to Alabama, arguing that he had already forfeited his remaining collegiate eligibility when he declared for the 2023 NBA Draft following his sophomore season. Although Bediako remained technically within the NCAA’s traditional five-year eligibility window, the governing body determined that entering professional basketball disqualified him from returning to the college level.
His legal team challenged that interpretation in Tuscaloosa Circuit Court, arguing that the rule should not apply in his case. The lawsuit initially gave Bediako a temporary path back onto the court.
Judge Jim Roberts granted a temporary restraining order, allowing the 7-foot center to suit up for Alabama while the case moved through the courts. During that short window, Bediako appeared in five games between January 17 and February 7.
Over those appearances, he averaged 10 points, 4.6 rebounds and 1.4 blocks per game, a stretch during which Alabama held a 3-2 record. They secured wins over the Missouri Tigers men's basketball, the Texas A&M Aggies and the Auburn Tigers. However, the matter was reassigned to Judge Daniel Pruet after Roberts recused himself from the case.
Pruet denied Bediako’s request for a preliminary injunction, which initially ended Bediako’s eligibility.
