‘The theater of the absurd’: NCAA president says former pro players pushing to go back to college may make Congress act

By Dana O’Neil, CNN

(CNN) — In a strange way, the brazen push from professional players to recalibrate their collegiate eligibility might help the NCAA in its fight to get its arms around its product.

NCAA president Charlie Baker has been nearly begging Congress to help streamline the wayward laws currently governing college athletics to no avail. Charles Bediako’s temporary restraining order to play at Alabama – coupled with former UCLA Bruin Amari Bailey’s claim that he, too, wants to go back to school – might be the proverbial straw on the congressional camel.

“Democrats and Republicans can’t agree on much, but they have been nearly universally surprised and rocked by what’s going on in the eligibility space,’’ Baker told CNN Sports. “Several people kind of looked at me and said, ‘Oh, no wonder why you’re talking to us about the rules.’ That’s a positive. Sometimes you need to get to the point of the theater of the absurd.’’

On a plentiful plate of issues to handle – point shaving and gambling, transfer portal and NIL regulations – Baker said that the eligibility issue is feeling the hottest burner. A preliminary injunction hearing is scheduled Friday in Alabama for Bediako, who has been playing for the Crimson Tide since January 24 despite playing for four different G-League teams and at one point signing a two-way contract with the San Antonio Spurs.

The judge who granted Bediako the temporary restraining order has since recused himself after reports surfaced that he is an Alabama booster.

What concerns Baker is that none of these decisions are made in a vacuum. Bediako’s attempt to sway the local courts already has spurred at least one copycat.

Bailey, who played 10 games in the NBA after being selected in the second round in the 2023 NBA draft, has said he would like to return to Westwood. He has hired a lawyer but has yet to file a lawsuit.

“This is potentially about every single kid who left college with any eligibility left – and not just in basketball but in any sport,’’ he said. “The bright line, if you go to college and you leave and sign a professional contract, that’s it. It’s done. I shudder to think of the consequences of one kid, one case changing the dynamic of all of it.’’

He points to not just high school athletes who could be denied roster spots should they be claimed by ex-pros, but the trickle-down that such decisions could cause. An already clogged transfer portal could potentially become even more overstuffed if players on college rosters feel like their minutes might be threatened by a pro back on the bench.

Baker also threw cold water on the argument that proponents, including Alabama head coach Nate Oats have made, arguing that the NCAA system allows professionals from overseas teams to join college rosters.

“They aren’t coming to school, leaving school and then trying to come back,’’ he said. “That’s where the whole thing falls apart. It’s false equivalencies to make these claims about someone who never went to college before.’’

The reason the NCAA needs Congress, Baker stressed, is that the court system is set up to judge one case on its merits, but the decisions create precedent that the NCAA then must honor.

He points to Vanderbilt quarterback Diego Pavia, who sued the NCAA in November 2024 and won a preliminary injunction to allow him to play this past season. He led the Commodores to their best season in program history and finished as the runner-up for the Heisman Trophy.

But Pavia, who already has played six college seasons, is still pursuing his lawsuit and has since been joined by 26 others, each pointing to James Nnaji, who played professionally for four years, being allowed to return to Baylor and play.

They argue they, too, should be allowed in the 2026 and 2027 seasons.

“Do I think NCAA rules are complicated? No. I do not,’’ Baker said. “What’s complicated is a series of decisions made in different jurisdictions that take a couple of years to work through the system. The rule is pretty clear but it’s very frustrating when somebody can go to court and get a decision and turn the whole thing on its head.”

The-CNN-Wire
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