As the eligibility saga surrounding Alabama center Charles Bediako stretches into another week, the tension around his potential return to college basketball-and a looming SEC showdown-continues to build. With a court ruling still pending, and a key rivalry game against Auburn on the horizon, coaches on both sides are weighing in, albeit carefully.
At the Birmingham Tip Off Club on Monday, Auburn interim head coach Steven Pearl addressed the situation with measured clarity. Asked about the possibility of facing Bediako this weekend, Pearl kept his comments grounded in the realities of the current system rather than diving into controversy.
“I don't make those decisions,” Pearl said. “What’s happening is being done within the guidelines that we're currently operating under.”
That “guideline,” in this case, is a temporary restraining order that’s allowed Bediako to suit up for Alabama despite the NCAA not reinstating his eligibility. The 23-year-old center filed a lawsuit against the NCAA on Jan. 20 in Tuscaloosa Circuit Court, and Judge Jim Roberts granted the TRO a day later.
The order was extended, giving Bediako a 10-day window to play before Roberts recused himself from the case. The matter now rests with Judge Daniel Pruet, who is expected to rule following a hearing scheduled for Friday, Feb.
Until then, Bediako remains eligible to play, including in Alabama’s matchup against Texas A&M on Feb. 4. But whether he takes the floor in Auburn’s Neville Arena two days later is still up in the air.
“If you can get a judge to get a temporary restraining order to allow a player to play, then until they're told they can't do that, that's what people are going to continue to do,” Pearl said. “All Nate’s trying to do is win basketball games. That’s what we’re all trying to do.”
It’s a candid acknowledgment of the competitive reality in college basketball. Coaches want to win. And if there’s a legal avenue that keeps a key player on the court, it’s no surprise teams will pursue it.
“I understand what Nate’s doing,” Pearl added. “That doesn’t mean it’s right or wrong. It’s not my place [to say].”
While Steven Pearl kept his focus on the current landscape, his father and Auburn coaching legend Bruce Pearl didn’t hold back in expressing his frustration with the broader implications. Bruce, who lost a high-profile job in the past due to NCAA violations, pointed to the inconsistency in how the rules are enforced-and how legal action can now potentially override them.
“I lost my job because I had some kids over to the house that had committed to me as juniors,” Bruce said. “I had them over to the house and I shouldn’t have and I fed them and I didn’t tell the truth about it. I lost an $11 million contract and I almost got knocked out of coaching.”
Bruce suggested that if he had taken his case to court, he might have gotten a favorable ruling too. “I’m not so sure I couldn’t get an injunction and win that, but I broke the rules.”
He went a step further, saying the NCAA should consider banning Alabama from the NCAA Tournament if Bediako continues to play under a restraining order. “I think it’s something that should be talked about,” he said.
“This has nothing to do with Auburn and Alabama’s rivalry, okay. Here’s what I don’t like.”
The elder Pearl’s comments reflect a deeper concern among some coaches about the shifting power dynamics between the NCAA, the courts, and the programs. With legal challenges becoming more common, the traditional enforcement mechanisms of college sports are being tested in real time.
For now, the focus shifts to Alabama’s next game-and the court ruling that will follow. If the injunction is lifted, Bediako’s college career could be over. If it stands, he could be back on the floor for one of the most heated rivalries in college basketball.
“We’ve just got to be prepared one way or another to face a really good Alabama team,” Steven Pearl said.
Tip-off between Auburn and Alabama is set for Saturday, Feb. 7, at either 3 or 3:30 p.m. CT. Whether Bediako will be in the lineup remains the biggest question heading into one of the SEC’s most anticipated matchups of the season.