LAS VEGAS — UNLV men’s basketball spent the weekend promoting Josh Pastner’s search for a major financial backer with posts describing the Runnin’ Rebels as a “D1 basketball team for sale.” By Monday, Pastner was explaining that no one could actually buy the program.
UNLV released a statement from its second-year head coach after the campaign drew national attention and raised questions about what Pastner meant when he suggested a supporter could become the unofficial “owner” of the Runnin’ Rebels.
“I want to clarify my recent comments regarding support for the UNLV men’s basketball program,” Pastner said. “The Runnin’ Rebels are not for sale, and my reference to an ‘owner’ was meant to highlight the level of resources, sponsorships, and overall support needed to compete in today’s evolving college athletics landscape, not to suggest anyone could own the program.”
Pastner first introduced the idea during an interview with KTNV’s Taylor Rocha. He said a supporter willing to invest between $10 million and $12 million could take control of the program’s financial operation while Pastner continued coaching and making basketball decisions.
“I have told people, why buy the NBA team? Buy the college basketball team,” Pastner said. “You can be the owner of the UNLV Runnin’ Rebels men’s basketball team, and it’s a lot less expensive.”
The title was symbolic. Pastner was pitching the opportunity to become the primary financial force behind a program trying to return to national relevance.
UNLV’s social media accounts leaned into the concept. One post carried the caption, “D1 basketball team for sale,” while the accompanying graphics compared a $10 million investment in UNLV basketball with the cost of a private jet, a Bugatti Chiron, a Las Vegas home, luxury watches and other high-end purchases.
Another graphic displayed the Runnin’ Rebels beneath a $10 million price tag, while a separate post told followers, “if you got 10 mil hit me up.”
The campaign created national buzz around UNLV basketball in July, but much of the conversation centered on whether the program was actually for sale rather than the fundraising message Pastner was trying to deliver.
The reaction spread beyond Las Vegas as national college basketball accounts, fans and media outlets shared the graphics and debated the use of the word “owner.” The discussion moved away from UNLV’s financial position and toward whether a public university was presenting one of its athletic programs as something that could be purchased.
Pastner’s statement attempted to separate the promotional language from the arrangement he originally described.
“The owning is about the financial part,” Pastner said during the KTNV interview. “I still get to coach the team and make every basketball decision.”
A donor could not purchase the Runnin’ Rebels, take ownership of university property or replace UNLV’s athletic leadership. Pastner was describing a supporter willing to provide enough money to change how the program operates in recruiting and roster construction.
Pastner has been open about the financial gap between the Runnin’ Rebels and the programs they are trying to compete against. Larger roster budgets allow teams to pursue more expensive players in the transfer portal, retain productive players and remain involved in recruitments that smaller-budget programs often cannot afford.
Pastner said during the interview that UNLV has already lost recruiting battles because of the difference in available money.
“If somebody says, ‘I have a million dollars,’ and we say, ‘We’ve got $100,000,’ you can’t overcome that,” Pastner said.
An investment approaching $10 million would immediately change the level of player UNLV could pursue. It would also raise expectations for Pastner and a program that has not reached the NCAA Tournament since 2013.
UNLV’s fundraising operation has already changed with the creation of Championship Resources, the university-administered effort that replaced the outside Friends of UNILV collective. Athletic director Erick Harper has projected approximately $10.75 million in revenue-sharing and NIL resources across the department, and Pastner is asking for another major financial commitment directed toward men’s basketball.
His statement Monday also emphasized that the program remains part of the university and the Southern Nevada community.
“It is an honor to serve as head coach of the Runnin’ Rebels,” Pastner said. “This program belongs to UNLV, its students, alumni, fans, and the Southern Nevada community and always will.”
Pastner added that he remains committed to representing the university, supporting UNLV’s athletes and building a nationally competitive program with the school’s administration and athletic department.
“We need everyone engaged to be successful,” Pastner said.
The weekend campaign accomplished part of what UNLV wanted by placing the Runnin’ Rebels in a national college basketball conversation during the middle of the offseason. The program also spent Monday trying to make sure the conversation was about financial support, not an actual sale.
