As the Florida Gators basketball program continues to fight its way through the 2025-26 regular season, the team’s upcoming matchup against fellow SEC member, the Alabama Crimson Tide, just got a little more juicy this week.

When asked about the Crimson Tides’ current controversy with center Charles Bediako on Thursday, Gators’ head coach Todd Golden sounded off about the situation, claiming that “there are a lot of people that aren’t necessarily happy about it.”

“[Alabama was] able to finagle the situation where they got a judge in Alabama, [who] is actually a donor to Alabama, to write a temporary restraining order to allow [Bediako] to play games at Alabama,” Golden claimed on a recent episode of Gator Talk. “I think there are a lot of people that aren’t necessarily happy about it and don’t necessarily agree about it, but with all this intervention from judges, there’s only so much the league can do, there’s only so much other member schools in the league can do, and we just need some people to stand up and start taking a stand.”

Bediako, prior to the recent controversy, spent two seasons with the Crimson Tide from 2021 to 2023. After two years with the program, the talented center signed a two-way contract with the San Antonio Spurs, but would never play a game in the NBA. During his three years in the G-League, Bediako spent one season with the Austin Spurs, the Grand Rapids Gold Stars, and, most recently, the Motor City Cruise.

Despite playing multiple years at the professional level, Bediako would shock the college basketball landscape after being granted a temporary restraining order, which allowed him to immediately participate for Alabama basketball.

When asked if the situation is a distraction to him and his team, Golden simply responded by claiming, “If he plays, we will beat him anyways.”

“We are going to beat [Alabama] anyways. If he plays, we will beat him anyways,” Golden stated.

Florida is set to play Alabama on Feb 1st, which will be the first matchup between the two SEC powerhouses this season.

With the Crimson Tide sitting at 3-2 in conference play as of Friday afternoon, the primetime matchup could have massive implications heading into March. Outside of the Gators, Alabama will still have to face No. 20 Arkansas and No. 21 Georgia to round out the regular season.

As for Golden and his squad, Florida will also have to face off against the Razorbacks and the Bulldogs, making the contest a key game for the rest of the season.