The NCAA is pushing back after a legal ruling cleared former professional Charles Bediako to return to the Alabama men’s basketball team, sparking a fierce debate over collegiate eligibility rules. The NCAA is asking Congress to step in and stop it, even though Crimson Tide fans are happy about his return.

In an exclusive interview with Alabama Men’s Basketball, Bediako said he was excited to be back with the team. “I get to be back here and play in front of the best fans in college basketball,” he said, his words carrying the weight of someone who knows what he left behind when he left for professional basketball in 2023.

That feeling is more than just nostalgia. Charles Bediako was an anchor on Alabama’s defense during his first two years there, from 2021 to 2023. Bediako averaged 6.6 points, 5.2 rebounds, and 1.7 blocks in 70 games. He made 68% of his shots in the 67 games he started, which helped the Crimson Tide reach the Sweet 16 in 2023. He was named to the All-SEC Defensive Team for his strong defense. This makes his return even more important for a team that is struggling defensively.

The backlash came quickly. The NCAA responded on social media, saying that Bediako’s return takes chances away from high school players who have been waiting their turn. While critics claim the Crimson Tide’s star is cheating the system, Alabama fans see something different. They see a player getting a second chance after things didn’t work out in the big leagues.

Fans slam Charles Bediako and Alabama over controversial return

There was a lot of criticism on social media. Country-wide, the fans weren’t shy about sharing their thoughts on Bediako’s unusual path back to college. They questioned both his choice and the system that let it happen.

His failure to secure a spot in the NBA was pointed out by a fan, saying, “NBA reject lol.” He played 82 G-League games over three seasons, but he never got a call-up to an NBA team. In his most recent stint with the Motor City Cruise, he only averaged five points and five rebounds in limited minutes.

“Pathetic,” said another reaction, showing how upset many people were that college sports were going backward. Fans who thought college sports should stay separate from professional sports were upset by the optics.

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Someone said, “Congrats, you’re a fraud and a coward,” which was a personal attack on Bediako’s character. People were very critical of this because they thought that going back to college after failing at work was a sign that you weren’t good enough, not a real second chance. The commenter got even angrier when they realized that Bediako would probably dominate the competition after getting experience against better G-League players.

Another said, “The cheating Nate Oats! Have zero respect for him.” This response was aimed at Alabama’s head coach who had shared his reasons for letting Bediako back on the team. This made it seem like the move took advantage of a gap in the NCAA eligibility rules. Critics said that Oats’ willingness to take Bediako back showed that he cared more about winning than the spirit of amateur sports. This was especially true since Alabama is currently 13-5 and needs more depth in the frontcourt.

Another response that used a workplace analogy to make fun of the situation was, “I wonder if I told the manager that I’m not good at my job, would he let me go back to school and be a bum?” Many people thought it was absurd to let someone go back to being an amateur after having trouble professionally. This point of view became more popular because Bediako’s G-League numbers had gone down this season, which made it seem like he was going backwards in his career instead of getting better as a professional athlete.