Bruce Pearl says NCAA ‘should consider’ banning Alabama from NCAA Tournament due to Charles Bediako situation
By JAMES MADDEN
Alabama’s Charles Bediako has taken the college basketball world by storm, due to his controversial return to the school following three seasons in the NBA G-League.
During Alabama’s game Sunday at Florida, Bediako, who signed three Two-Way contracts and spent time in the NBA G League, was serenaded with chants of “G League dropout!”
"G LEAGUE DROPOUT!!"
— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) February 1, 2026
Former NBA G League player Charles Bediako hearing it from the Gator fans at the free throw line for Alabama. pic.twitter.com/Q5M0YUhZUk
Former Auburn head coach Bruce Pearl sat down with OutKick’s Dan Dakich and discussed the Bediako situation with him.
Dakich asked Pearl what he thought about the idea of Alabama being banned from the NCAA Tournament because of the ongoing Bediako situation. Pearl offered that he thinks it should be considered by the NCAA.
“I think they should consider it. I think it’s just something that should be talked about,” Pearl said.
He also noted that his opinion is nothing personal against Alabama and has nothing to do with the longstanding Alabama-Auburn rivalry.
“It doesn’t matter how much I respect Nate Oats, I’m the Auburn coach, so what I’m saying about Alabama must be something personal and let’s just take that right off the table,” he said. “This has nothing to do with Auburn and Alabama’s rivalry.”
Pearl cited his 2011 firing from Tennessee over a recruiting violation involving hosting commits for dinner, questioning if the courts would have sided with him over the violation.
“I broke the rules. This is what the rules were, I made a mistake. It cost me,” Pearl said. “The NCAA said no, he’s not eligible. You guys are part of the SEC, you’re part of the NCAA… When we don’t like the ruling, what do we do? We go to court and get an injunction.”
Bediako was granted eligibility by Tuscaloosa County Circuit Court Judge James H. Roberts Jr., who was later discovered to be a donor of the Crimson Tide’s basketball program. Roberts was later recused from the case after that information was made public.
The next eligibility hearing for Bediako is scheduled for Friday, February 6th.
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