Charles Bediako, a former Alabama men’s basketball player, has sued the NCAA in an attempt to return to the floor for the Crimson Tide for the remainder of this season.

In a motion filed to the circuit court of Tuscaloosa County, Ala., on Tuesday, Bediako sought a temporary restraining order and/or preliminary injunction that would grant him immediate eligibility from the NCAA. A 7-foot center from Brampton, Ontario, Bediako previously played for Alabama for two seasons from 2021 to 2023, averaging 6.6 points and 5.2 rebounds in 70 total games. Bediako, 23, declared for the 2023 NBA Draft with two seasons of eligibility remaining, but went undrafted. He later signed a two-way contract with the San Antonio Spurs and played for multiple G League teams, most recently in December 2025. He has not appeared in an NBA game.

Bediako’s lawsuit follows a wave of former G League players and international pros joining college basketball this season, including James Nnaji, a 2023 NBA Draft pick who played in the NBA Summer League and was recently granted four seasons of college eligibility at Baylor.

If the court rules in Bediako’s favor, he could become the first modern example of a former college basketball player returning to the sport after forgoing eligibility to declare for the NBA. (Larry Bird famously returned to Indiana State for his senior season after being selected by the Boston Celtics in the 1978 NBA Draft.)

The motion argues that Bediako will “suffer irreparable harm” if he is not immediately reinstated by the NCAA due to the competitive, financial and educational opportunities he would miss out on. The complaint states that Bediako is enrolled at the University of Alabama for the current semester, and under current eligibility rules, this semester is the final one in which he could be eligible to compete because his five-year eligibility period began in 2021.

“When he elected to enter his name into the 2023 NBA Draft, Mr. Bediako could not have imagined the monumental change in the landscape of college athletics that has since occurred,” the complaint reads. “Had Mr. Bediako known that he would have been able to earn compensation directly from his university while remaining a student-athlete, he never would have left school to pursue financial gain elsewhere.”

The eligibility of Nnaji, who has played in six games since Jan. 3, caused a stir in college sports, considering he had been previously drafted to the NBA. But Nnaji, like the other international and G League players who have been granted eligibility, never played in the NBA or signed an NBA contract, including a two-way deal.

In a statement released last month, NCAA president Charlie Baker made that a red-line distinction in terms of eligibility.

“The NCAA has not and will not grant eligibility to any prospective or returning student-athletes who have signed an NBA contract (including a two-way contract),” Baker said.

The NCAA echoed that in a separate statement on Tuesday.

“The NCAA is aware of media reports about a lawsuit filed against the NCAA by Charles Bediako,” it said. “Mr. Bediako signed three NBA contracts after competing in college for two seasons. The NCAA has not and will not grant eligibility to any prospective or returning student-athletes who have signed an NBA contract. Eligibility rules ensure high school students get a shot at earning scholarships, and we will continue to consistently apply and defend these rules.”

The @NCAA has not and will not grant eligibility to any prospective or returning student-athletes who have signed an @NBA contract (including a two-way contract). As schools are increasingly recruiting individuals with international league experience, the NCAA is exercising…

— Charlie Baker (@CharlieBakerMA) December 30, 2025

Representatives for Bediako argue against these eligibility distinctions in the complaint, stating “the NCAA has arbitrarily determined that it is acceptable” for an athlete to compete professionally and then in college, but not to return to college.

“There is no principled justification for treating these groups of student-athletes differently,” the complaint reads.

The complaint alleges that Bediako filed the lawsuit only after the NCAA denied the University of Alabama’s request to reinstate his eligibility. Alabama athletics did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Bediako’s case is the latest and newest wrinkle on a topic that has caused many prominent names in the sport, particularly coaches, to speak out on the confusion and uncertainty of these eligibility disputes. Arkansas coach John Calipari recently penned an op-ed in The Washington Post endorsing collective bargaining as a way to address ongoing issues in college sports.