Josh Pastner owner comments clarified as UNLV says team is not for sale
UNLV coach Josh Pastner said his “owner” remark was about funding and support, not selling the Runnin’ Rebels program.
By Georgia Hale · Staff Writer
3 min read
Josh Pastner owner comments turned into a Monday cleanup for UNLV, with the Runnin’ Rebels coach saying he was talking about the money and backing needed in modern college basketball, not putting the program on the market.
Pastner addressed the remarks in a statement posted on the team’s social media accounts, after an interview with KTNV in Las Vegas in which he discussed finding an investor to help UNLV compete in the NIL era.
In that KTNV interview, Pastner framed his pitch around Las Vegas’ growing place in basketball and the possibility that the city could land an NBA team. His pitch: back UNLV men’s basketball instead.
Pastner said in the interview, “I have told people, why buy the NBA team? Buy the college basketball team. You can be the owner of the UNLV Runnin’ Rebels men’s basketball team,” adding that it would cost much less than buying an NBA franchise.
What did Josh Pastner say about an owner?
On Monday, Pastner said the phrase was not meant literally. In his statement, he said the Runnin’ Rebels “are not for sale” and that his use of “owner” was meant to show the scale of resources, sponsorships and support he believes the program needs to compete.
He added that he was not suggesting anyone could buy or own the UNLV program. Pastner closed the statement by saying the team belongs to UNLV, its students, alumni, fans and the Southern Nevada community.
NIL refers to name, image and likeness, the system that allows college athletes to earn money from endorsements and related deals. In men’s basketball, coaches and schools now compete in a recruiting market where outside financial support can affect which programs land top players.
Pastner was direct about that financial gap in his KTNV interview. He said that with a $12 million check, UNLV could compete with Kentucky, Duke, Arizona and UCLA for any player. He also said that if another school can offer a player $1 million while UNLV’s budget allows only $100,000, the player’s feelings about him would not be enough.
Why is Las Vegas part of Pastner’s pitch?
According to ESPN, Pastner pointed to Las Vegas’ rise as a basketball city while making his case. The NBA holds summer league games there, and the Final Four is scheduled to be held in the city in 2028.
Pastner said last week that UNLV could get there by “thinking outside the box and being unique,” while offering supporters the excitement of being around basketball and the program.
The Runnin’ Rebels remain one of college basketball’s most recognizable names because of their 1990 national championship, but the program has been away from the NCAA tournament since 2013.
Pastner is entering his second season at UNLV. In his first year, the Rebels finished 18-17 and went 11-9 in Mountain West Conference play, tied for seventh in the league.
Pastner, 48, previously coached Memphis and Georgia Tech and worked as an ESPN studio analyst. ESPN reported that he began his coaching career as an assistant under Lute Olson at Arizona and later worked under John Calipari at Memphis before taking over the Tigers in 2009. He became Georgia Tech’s coach in 2016.
Pastner also played at Arizona for Olson and was part of the Wildcats’ 1997 national championship team.
This story draws on original reporting from ESPN.com.