Former Auburn Tigers head coach Bruce Pearl has weighed in on a turbulent week for the future of college athletics, issuing a strong suggestion to Congress to make the fixes they have promised to make.

Amid Alabama basketball former star Charles Bediako’s controversial return to the program three years after departing for the NBA, Pearl made an appearance on the Dari Nowkhah Show and gave his unique perspective as a coach who has guided his program through the NIL, transfer portal, and eligibility question era.

Pearl says the reason the NCAA keeps losing in court is because of the way it is set up for amateurism in violation of every antitrust law in the country.

“What the courts have said to the NCAA years and years ago is that what we’re doing right now and how we operate is illegal. It is against the antitrust laws and the Sherman Act of this country,” Pearl said.

“Either Congress adjusts and changes some of the laws that allows the NCAA to govern itself by giving us some limited antitrust protection. And if they’re able to do that we could go back to the old ways recognizing how ignorant and arrogant the NCAA was by not paying the student athletes sooner.

“We can fix this, but the courts have said right now we don’t have the power to fix this. This is really simple, congress, get off your ass and change these laws. And if you won’t, and if you can’t, okay, tell us so we can stop wasting time, because right now there are no rules.”

Bediako is set to play in Alabama’s game this weekend against Tennessee and a hearing is set to determine his further eligibility on January 27. As Pearl said though, chances are the NCAA will yet again lose in court as a further demonstration of how things need to change in the world of collegiate athletics.