The NCAA has already been roiled by a shift toward compensating athletes and allowing them to switch programs in the transfer portal. The latest change could be even bigger: allowing players who have already left for the pros to return and reclaim some of their NCAA eligibility.

The landscape of collegiate athletics is facing a transformation as Amari Bailey and Charles Bediako lead a high-profile push for former professional basketball players to return to the college ranks. Driven by the expansion of Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL) opportunities and recent legal victories, these athletes are challenging long-standing NCAA rules regarding amateurism.

Charles Bediako, a 7-foot center who previously spent two seasons at the University of Alabama, recently made national headlines by successfully returning to the Crimson Tide. After going undrafted in 2023, Bediako signed a two-way contract with the San Antonio Spurs and played for several G League affiliates. However, a judge in the Tuscaloosa Circuit Court recently granted a temporary restraining order, allowing him to suit up for Alabama while his legal case against the NCAA continues. Bediako argued that despite his professional contracts, he never appeared in an official NBA regular-season game, leaving his collegiate window open.

Following the momentum of the Bediako ruling, former UCLA standout Amari Bailey is attempting an even more unprecedented move. Bailey, who was selected No. 41 overall in the 2023 NBA Draft, appeared in 10 games for the Charlotte Hornets during his rookie season. Now 21 years old and currently a free agent, Amari Bailey has hired a legal team to argue that he should be allowed to use his remaining years of eligibility.

"Right now I’d be a senior in college," Amari Bailey told ESPN, noting that he left school as an 18-year-old and still has goals to achieve in the collegiate environment. His case is significantly more complex than  Bediako’s, as the NCAA has historically maintained that once a player checks into an NBA game, their eligibility is permanently forfeited.

The NCAA has pushed back firmly against these efforts, with senior vice president of external affairs Tim Buckley stating that the association "will not grant eligibility to any players who have signed an NBA contract." Despite this stance, legal experts suggest that the "rule of restitution" and previous antitrust settlements have weakened the NCAA's ability to enforce these barriers.

As Bediako continues his season in Tuscaloosa and Bailey prepares for his own legal battle, the outcome of these cases could redefine the relationship between professional leagues and college sports for years to come.