NIL and the NCAA are colliding once again, this time after a federal court granted current professional NBA/G League player Charles Bediako a temporary restraining order allowing him to return to college basketball immediately.
Texas A&M senior Rashaun Agee faced a similar eligibility battle earlier this season, but the key difference is that Agee had not signed an NBA contract. Bediako, meanwhile, has spent the last three years in the G League and even signed a two‑way NBA deal. Under the NCAA’s own guidelines, any player who signs an NBA contract is considered ineligible for college competition.
But the court’s ruling has cracked that door wide open — and now it may swing off the hinges.
The decision sets a precedent that could encourage other former pros to sue for access to their “remaining eligibility,” especially if they see college basketball as a more lucrative path than the G League. NIL is the obvious catalyst here. Based on Bediako’s professional trajectory, his chances of sticking on an NBA roster were dwindling. Returning to college gives him two years to maximize his earning potential in a way the G League simply can’t match.
The NCAA responded forcefully to the ruling, saying:
“These attempts to sidestep NCAA rules and recruit individuals who have finished their time in college or signed NBA contracts are taking away opportunities from high school students. A judge ordering the NCAA let a former NBA player take the court Saturday against actual college student-athletes is exactly why Congress must step in and empower college sports to enforce our eligibility rules.”
Regardless of where fans stand on paying players, most have accepted that NIL is now part of the landscape. What they do agree on is the need for universal guardrails — and this case may be the flashpoint that finally forces action. If courts continue to override NCAA eligibility rules, the entire system could be reshaped through litigation rather than legislation.
How this impacts Texas A&M
Bediako is returning to Alabama, and the Crimson Tide host Texas A&M on February 4 in Tuscaloosa. That matchup already carried weight in the SEC standings, but now the Aggies may face a former NBA‑contracted center who wasn’t expected to be on the floor this season.
In a year where every conference game matters, this ruling doesn’t just shift national policy debates — it directly affects the path in front of Texas A&M.
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This article originally appeared on Aggies Wire: NBA player Charles Bediako eligible to face Texas A&M at Alabama
