Former Alabama QB hits the nail on the head with criticism of Charles Bediako debate ahead of clash with Tennessee
The former Crimson Tide star takes aim at the NCAA amid an absurd situation unfolding in Tuscaloosa.
The Tennessee Volunteers remain on track to serve as one of the parties in the theater of the absurd on Saturday night in Tuscaloosa, where they will take on the Alabama Crimson Tide in a key SEC battle.
But just as they were pioneers in the NIL era with the signing of Nico Iamaleava and the subsequent federal court litigation, they’ll be pioneers in a way on Saturday night as well. And that’s because Alabama head coach Nate Oats has brought back former Crimson Tide center and three-year NBA G League player Charles Bediako to face the Vols.
Bediako was the subject of a huge amount of scrutiny this week after an Alabama judge issued a temporary restraining order making Bediako eligible to play on Saturday and precluding the NCAA from enforcing its rules — at least until an injunction hearing can take place next week.
Former Alabama quarterback AJ McCarron addressed the situation on “The Dynasty” podcast that he co-hosts with Trent Richardson and voice of the Crimson Tide Chris Stewart. McCarron admitted to the ridiculousness of the situation, but he took aim at the NCAA for allowing this to happen.
Former Alabama QB AJ McCarron says Charles Bediako situation is ‘a bad look for all of college sports’
“It’s a laughingstock, and they wonder why everybody is sitting here just laughing at the NCAA,” McCarron said. “It’s because you have allowed this shit show to go on. You’ve allowed this shit show to happen, to even start. Because you don’t know how to implement the correct rules and then enforce those rules.
“And then, by having such a shit show, you allow circuit judges in local areas of these schools to figure out whatever rules they want to set. It’s the same thing for Trinidad Chambliss. That court case is going on in Oxford. How do you think the ruling is going to go for them? He’s going to get that extra year because the court ruling is in Oxford. So, it doesn’t matter what the NCAA says. The NCAA has lost damned near every lawsuit that’s went against them because they allowed this NIL shit show to happen.
“You’ve got a guy for Baylor that’s starting that was in the draft. Now, you’ve got this dude, and great for us. It still doesn’t make it right. I don’t think any of us is saying it’s great, because it’s not. It’s a bad look for all of college sports. But it’s all on the NCAA. You’ve allowed it. You’ve created this mess.”
McCarron isn’t wrong about the NCAA. The organization that’s supposed to be the leadership of the sport has fallen completely off the grid and has become an afterthought in the sport it’s supposed to govern. It feels as though it’s basically been swept under the rug.
The organization hasn’t tried to come up with real NIL rules or a solution to help address the widespread issues in this new era. Rather than project strength and stability at a time when the sport needs it, it feels as though it’s afraid to act in fear of being sued again.
McCarron didn’t take aim at Nate Oats, which isn’t too surprising given their shared Bama ties, but Oats also holds blame in this, as does Baylor’s Scott Drew and any other coach that welcomes a pro athlete back to the college level. The coaches could put themselves above this, but at this point, winning is that important that the bedrock of the sport and what separates it from professional sports is secondary to it.
We’ll see if Tennessee can rise above Bediako and the rest of the Crimson Tide on Saturday night at the Coleman Coliseum, with tipoff set for shortly after 8:30 pm ET.
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