Bruce Pearl says NCAA should consider banning Alabama from March Madness for playing Charles Bediako
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Alabama center Charles Bediako is suiting up for his third game as a newly added member of the Crimson Tide on Sunday afternoon against Florida, and while his future status is up in the air, many are already calling for punishment for the program.
OutKick’s Dan Dakich spoke with former Tennessee/Auburn head coach and current TNT Sports analyst Bruce Pearl about Bediako’s eligibility and how it should be addressed by the NCAA.
Pearl didn’t necessarily state that Alabama should be banned from the 2026 NCAA Tournament, but he did say that conversations did at least need to be had regarding the possibility. He also emphasized that his statements having nothing to do with the Tigers’ rivalry with the Crimson Tide, instead purely coming from a place of interest in the sport’s health.
“I think they should consider it and talk about it,” Pearl said of banning Alabama. “I lost my job because I had some kids over to a house and fed them when I shouldn’t have, and then I lied about it. I lost an 11-million-dollar contract and almost got knocked out of coaching…”
“If I had taken it to court, I’m not so sure I couldn’t have gotten an injunction and won that,” Pearl continued. “But I broke the rules and made a mistake, and it cost me…And they [Alabama] are in the SEC and choose to be a part of this, and the NCAA had said he’s not eligible.”
In two home games against Tennessee and Missouri, Bediako has made a sizable impact. He’s accounted for a combined 27 points, 9 rebounds, 3 steals and 2 blocks in those contests.
Bediako and Alabama are currently battling Florida in Gainesville, with the game being broadcast by ABC.
Parker is currently the sports editor for the Enterprise-Journal in McComb, Mississippi. He's a graduate from Mizzou who has experience covering the Tiger football and basketball beats for SB Nation, and he's worked for a variety of sports news outlets in the past.
