Greg Sankey Weighs In on Charles Bediako Case as Court Hearing Looms
With a critical SEC rivalry game just around the corner, the legal battle surrounding Alabama big man Charles Bediako is heating up - and SEC Commissioner Greg Sankey is stepping into the fray.
In court documents filed ahead of Friday’s hearing, Sankey urged the court to uphold the NCAA’s eligibility rules, effectively opposing Bediako’s return to the court for Alabama. His statement wasn’t just a procedural nod to NCAA policy - it was a firm stance on what Sankey sees as the foundational principles of college athletics.
“I respectfully ask the Court to uphold the NCAA eligibility rules challenged in this case, which are essential to the integrity of college sports, to the educational mission they serve, and to the opportunities they provide for current and future student-athletes,” Sankey stated.
The timing couldn’t be more critical. The hearing is scheduled for Friday - just hours before Alabama travels to face in-state rival Auburn. If the court sides with Sankey and the NCAA, Bediako would be sidelined for one of the most emotionally charged games on the Crimson Tide’s schedule.
And if this ruling does mark the end of Bediako’s brief return to college hoops, it’ll close the book on a four-game stint that showed flashes of what Alabama could’ve had down the stretch. The Tide went 2-2 in those games, notching wins over Missouri and Texas A&M, but falling to Tennessee and Florida. Bediako, who was granted temporary eligibility through two restraining orders, averaged 21.5 minutes per game - a solid presence in the rotation whether starting or coming off the bench.
His numbers? Respectable, and more importantly, impactful. He posted 9.5 points, 5.0 rebounds, and 1.8 blocks per game - a stat line that doesn’t just fill the box score, but gives Alabama a rim protector and interior presence they’ve lacked at times this season.
The restraining orders that allowed Bediako to suit up were granted under unusual circumstances. One came after the NCAA failed to appear at a hearing due to weather-related travel issues - a rare twist that added even more drama to an already complicated eligibility saga.
Alabama head coach Nate Oats addressed the situation after the Tide’s recent loss to Florida, hinting at the broader implications of the case - especially when it comes to how the NCAA draws lines around amateurism, NIL, and eligibility.
“(The NCAA) need(s) to draw a line, and I think Charles’ people thought the line shouldn’t have been drawn that’s gonna favor all the internationals and not allow the Americans to be able to make the money,” Oats said. “And I think that’s kind of where they thought the line should be drawn somewhere else.”
Oats’ comments speak to a larger tension in college sports right now - the shifting landscape of NIL, eligibility, and what fairness looks like in a system still trying to find its footing in this new era. Bediako’s case is just one example, but it’s a high-profile one, and it’s unfolding in real time with major implications for Alabama’s season.
As Friday’s hearing approaches, all eyes will be on the court - both the legal one and the hardwood in Auburn. Whether Bediako will be on the floor remains to be seen, but one thing is clear: this case is about more than just one player. It’s about the future of college sports governance, and the battle lines are being drawn right now.