The NIL era has completely rewritten the script in college basketball. It used to be a one-way pipeline to the pros, but now players are coming back the other direction. We’ve already seen G League names like James Nnaji, T.J. Clark, London Johnson, and Thierry Darlan gain NCAA eligibility. But when Charles Bediako asked for the same, the NCAA decided to deny him eligibility.

According to a court filing on Tuesday, former Alabama center Charles Bediako has filed a lawsuit against the NCAA over college eligibility. He’s pushing for a temporary restraining order and preliminary injunction that would allow him to suit up for Alabama this season.

The NCAA wasted no time. According to journalist Jeff Borzello, they released a statement of their own in response. “The NCAA is aware of media reports about a lawsuit filed against the NCAA by Charles Bediako. 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.”

According to al.com’s Nick Kelly, Bediako is already enrolled at Alabama for the spring semester. Classes officially began on Jan. 7, with the Spring 2 session starting Feb. 9, per the university website. Now the focus shifts to whether he’ll be cleared to play. Bediako spent two seasons with the Crimson Tide before declaring for the 2023 NBA Draft and going unselected. He then joined the San Antonio Spurs for Summer League, which eventually led to a G League deal.

That’s where the problem comes in. G League players such as Thierry Darlan or drafted players like James Nnaji had one thing in common: none of them signed a professional contract with an NBA team. In Charles Bediako’s case, it’s different.

He signed an Exhibit 10 with the Spurs worth $1.19 million per Spotrac, and it eventually became a two-way deal. But he never played an NBA game, logging all his time in the G League. The issue is that the NCAA president, Charlie Baker, has made it clear in a strongly worded statement that players on two-way NBA contracts will not be eligible to play.

Bediako also inked Exhibit 10 deals with the Nuggets and Pistons worth $1.86 million and $2.04 million. He’s basically lived in the G League so far, playing for the Austin Spurs, Grand Rapids Gold, and Motor City Cruise.

In the lawsuit, Bediako argues that he’ll suffer irreparable harm if he isn’t given one last semester of eligibility. His attorney, Darren Heitner, also said in the filing that Bediako regrets leaving Alabama and highlighted recent examples of former G-League players being cleared by the NCAA.

“Had Mr. Bediako had more foresight to see the paradigm-shifting changes coming to compensation for NCAA athletes, he likely would still be on campus playing for the University of Alabama right now,” Heitner wrote in his complaint as per AL.com. “When the NCAA recently began to reinstate players with G League experience, and even players who had entered and been selected in the NBA Draft, Mr. Bediako saw this as a chance to right a wrong decision that he had regretted over the past three years.”

It remains to be seen how this case will end, but it’s clear that a real solution is needed for this eligibility fiasco. Arkansas coach John Calipari has even thrown out a potential solution.

John Calipari Proposes Solution to Eligibility Issues as Charles Bediako Waits

College coaches have been vocal and frustrated, directing their anger at the NCAA for seemingly changing its eligibility stance overnight to favor the G League players. Michigan State’s Tom Izzo called the situation “embarrassing” and “ridiculous.” Purdue’s Matt Painter said he was “at a loss for words,” and even wondered if it was a prank at first.

To fix all this chaos, Arkansas coach John Calipari proposed collective bargaining as a long-term answer. He explained the idea in an op-ed for The Washington Post. “Can the NCAA implement a model that accomplishes this? If it can lobby Congress to provide antitrust protection and give it the ability to create effective rules, then probably yes,” Calipari wrote, as per The Athletic. “But is that a reasonable expectation? No.”

At the professional level, leagues such as the NFL, NBA, and WNBA utilize collective bargaining to manage their business. The league negotiates with a players’ union that represents the athletes’ interests on issues like salaries and benefits. Together, they agree on a contract that sets long-term rules, which creates stability and consistent standards for everyone.

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Adopting that kind of system at the college level is extremely daunting, mainly because there are multiple sports, divisions, and conferences involved. That’s why the NCAA and many college presidents have avoided collective bargaining. There’s uncertainty around what the system would look like, the cost of building it, and it would take away a lot of power from the NCAA.

Calipari also suggested handing control to sport-specific entities “that govern themselves and oversee rules, creating the best environment for student-athletes.”

Regardless of how this plays out, a change is needed to prevent situations like Charles Bediako’s from happening again.