Josh Pastner says UNLV not for sale after $10 million ownership pitch
UNLV coach Josh Pastner clarified that the Runnin’ Rebels are not for sale after saying a backer could “own” the team for $10 million to $12 million.
By Deshawn Carter · Sports Writer
3 min read
Josh Pastner’s UNLV for sale talk has been put back on the shelf. The Runnin’ Rebels coach said Monday that the men’s basketball program cannot be bought, days after he told KTNV’s Taylor Rocha that he wanted a $10 million to $12 million backer to act as the team’s “owner.”
Pastner said in a statement that his comments about an “owner” were meant to point to the amount of money, sponsorship and broader backing he believes UNLV needs to compete in college athletics now. He said they were not meant to suggest that a person could actually own the program.
The clarification followed a burst of attention for Pastner’s pitch, which came as Las Vegas continues to be discussed as a future NBA market. Rocha posted video of the exchange on July 23, with Pastner making the case that a wealthy basketball buyer could spend far less on UNLV than on a pro franchise.
In that interview, Pastner told Rocha: “Why buy the NBA team? Buy the college basketball team.” He said an NBA team would require more than $1 billion, while he was asking for $10 million to $12 million for the Runnin’ Rebels.
Pastner also said in the KTNV interview that such a backer could receive a tax write-off, be involved with the program and tell people they were the team’s owner. His later statement made clear that “owner” was shorthand for financial support, not a literal change in control.
Can someone buy UNLV basketball?
No, according to Pastner’s own clarification. UNLV men’s basketball remains a university program, and Pastner said the Runnin’ Rebels are “not for sale.”
The confusion landed in the middle of a fast-changing college sports business era. CBS Sports reported that some schools have taken money from private equity firms, while some universities have shifted athletic operations into outside entities, making talk of ownership less outlandish than it once sounded.
UNLV also played along with the chatter before Pastner’s walkback. On Sunday, the program posted a social media graphic listing other things a person could buy for $10 million, including a jet or a mansion.
By Monday, the message from the coach was more direct: the Runnin’ Rebels need more resources, not a buyer. Pastner’s original sales-pitch wording got the headlines, while his follow-up tried to close the door on the idea that UNLV basketball is on the market.
The coach’s public cleanup leaves the money question where it started. Pastner wants major backing for UNLV men’s basketball, and he put a $10 million to $12 million figure on the scale of help he is seeking.
This story draws on original reporting from CBS Sports.