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. 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.
I encourage people to read the TRO. It specifically says the NCAA "is further restrained from threatening, imposing, attempting to impose, suggesting, or implying any penalties or sanctions on Mr. Bediako or the University of Alabama or its coaches or other student-athletes as a result of Mr. Bediako's participation in Division I athletics." That is a fact.
To suggest the NCAA should void the wins when Bediako is playing is to suggest it should be in clear and direct violation of a court order. I don't like this situation any more than anyone else, but I don't see how arguing that the NCAA should violate court orders advances the ball.