Alabama AD Greg Byrne shares lengthy statement on Charles Bediako ahead of Saturday game

Alabama athletic director Greg Byrne has come out with a lengthy statement addressing the situation surrounding Charles Bediako.

Bediako is set to take the floor for Alabama on Saturday against Tennessee. It will be his first game with the Crimson Tide since 2023. He left UA after declaring for the NBA Draft. He signed multiple NBA 2-way contracts, but only played in the G League.

The NCAA denied Bediako eligibility after he re-enrolled at Alabama. A court has issued a temporary restraining order against the NCAA, allowing Bediako to play on Saturday without facing any NCAA punishment or penalty against him or Alabama.

Crimson Tide coach Nate Oats spoke Friday, defending his player and his program. Byrne decided to add to Oats’ comments by taking to social media.

While Coach Oats provided his perspective earlier today on Charles Bediako and the process of him becoming eligible to compete for the Crimson Tide, I wanted to follow up with some additional thoughts,” Byrne wrote in a note posted to X (formely Twitter). I think it’s safe to say the majority of us have concerns about the state of college athletics and are all for uniformity versus inconsistencies.  

“There are many programs across the country with former G League and EuroLeague players on their rosters who have been deemed eligible. At the end of the day, these are men with professional basketball experience that are now playing in college. The distinctions between those cases and Charles’ situation are without real differences. A professional contract should be a professional contract. Why should a student-athlete who earned millions competing professionally overseas be eligible to return to college, while someone earning $50,000 annually in the NBA G League is not? Similarly, an athlete who leaves high school for professional basketball returning to college later is okay, while a student who entered the draft during college, perhaps based on incomplete or poor advice, may be barred. These distinctions are impossible to explain, undermine confidence in the system and do not meaningfully advance the educational mission of college athletics.  

“That said, we must remain competitive and act in the best interest of our teams. As Coach Oats stated, Charles is still within his five-year window, is 23 years old and started classes again this semester to work towards degree completion. He’s also not taking away any opportunities from a high school prospect or anyone else with there being a vacant roster spot.  

“If this particular case can help shape the future of the sport, and better regulation of college athletics as a whole, we welcome that.

Bediako and the No. 17 Alabama Crimson Tide host Tennessee. Tipoff from Coleman Coliseum is set for 8:30 p.m. ET, with the game airing on ESPN.

Andrew Olson

Andrew writes about sports to fund his love of live music and collection of concert posters. He strongly endorses the Hall of Fame campaigns of Fred Taylor and Andruw Jones.