Report: NCAA Calling for Recusal of Judge in Charles Bediako Case

The NCAA is concerned with the "intense media scrutiny and public speculation" of Tuscaloosa County judge James Roberts' relationship with the University of Alabama.

Jan 24, 2026; Tuscaloosa, Alabama, USA; Alabama Crimson Tide center Charles Bediako (14) warms up before a game against the Tennessee Volunteers at Coleman Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: David Leong-Imagn Images | David Leong-Imagn Images

The NCAA requested on Monday night that Tuscaloosa County judge James Roberts recuse himself from the collegiate eligibility case of Charles Bediako, per AL.com.

Roberts granted Bediako a temporary restraining order last week, allowing him to play in the Crimson Tide's loss to Tennessee on Saturday night. Roberts is also a six-figure donor to the University of Alabama.

“The NCAA has faith in the judicial process and does not currently contend the Court has an actual bias, partiality, or prejudice,” the motion reads, per AL.com. “Similarly, the NCAA does not allege that any actual bias motivated the Court’s granting of a temporary restraining order.

"Instead, the NCAA contends that proceeding in this Court has created an impermissible appearance of impropriety because of the intense media scrutiny and public speculation surrounding the Court’s relationship with the University of Alabama and its athletics programs and student-athletes.”

“Courts in Alabama and beyond have widely recognized that a mere appearance of partiality is sufficient to require the recusal of a trial judge. This appearance can be compounded by widespread media and public scrutiny questioning the trial court’s impartiality. Despite the NCAA’s confidence that the Court can disregard his connections to the University of Alabama and its athletics programs, recusal is still necessary to protect these proceedings from an appearance of impropriety.”

The NCAA is the defendant in this case. The injunction was set for Tuesday, but it was postponed due to weather issues affecting the area in which the defending attorney resides.

This makes Bediako, who played his first game against Tennessee this past Saturday night, available for the Crimson Tide's home matchup against Missouri on Tuesday and road meeting with Florida on Sunday.

During the loss to Tennessee, Bediako finished with 13 points, three rebounds and a pair of steals and blocks in 25 minutes.

During his 70 games (67 starts from 2021-23) in Tuscaloosa, Bediako averaged 6.6 points, 5.2 rebounds and 1.7 blocks in 19.3 minutes per game. He was a member of the All-SEC Freshman Team during his first year and the conference's All-Defensive Team during his second year.

After not being selected in the 2023 NBA Draft, he went to the NBA G League. Bediako is currently a member of the Motor City Cruise, but spent 2023-24 with the Austin Spurs and 2024-25 with the Grand Rapids Gold. He never played in an NBA game.

This is not the first time the NCAA has been vocal about the case, as it made statements after Bediako initially sued them and also after Roberts granted him the temporary restraining order.

"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 student," the NCAA wrote on Jan. 21. "A judge ordering the NCAA to 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."

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