Charles Bediako drops lawsuit against NCAA seeking eligibility
By Andrew Olson
Published:
The Charles Bediako eligibility saga appears to have reached its end.
Bediako followed a motion for voluntary dismissal on Monday. After previous denials, Bediako had appealed at the state supreme court level as a last hope of getting an order to allow him to continue playing for the Alabama basketball team during the 2025-26 season.
Charles Bediako has filed a motion for voluntary dismissal of his lawsuit against the NCAA, per court documents
— Nick Kelly (@_NickKelly) March 16, 2026
Bediako made his controversial return to Alabama basketball in January. He was previously part of the Crimson Tide from 2021-23 and then entered the NBA Draft. Bediako was not selected in the draft. Professionally, he signed NBA contracts, but only played in the G League on 2-way deals.
For 5 games, Bediako played with the 2025-26 Crimson Tide team under a temporary restraining order. His hearing for an injunction was delayed due to weather and a judge’s recusal, which was prompted by the said judge’s support of Alabama athletics. On Feb. 9, the temporary restraining order expired, and new judge Daniel Pruet ruled against Bediako’s request for an injunction.
In February, Bediako made two legal moves in hopes of rejoining the Crimson Tide. He filed an appeal with the Alabama Supreme Court and sought an injunction with the Tuscaloosa County court to play while his appeal was pending. Bediako was unable to obtain a legal order to allow his return after Pruet’s ruling.
Now that the regular season is over and Alabama is off to play Hofstra in the NCAA Tournament, Bediako appears to have given up on legal efforts to rejoin the Crimson Tide.
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.
