UNLV coach Josh Pastner published a statement on social media Monday to address previous comments he had made about seeking financing for his team.
In an interview with TV station KTNV in Las Vegas last week, Pastner made his pitch for a backer to emerge for UNLV’s NIL efforts, telling fans, “You can be the owner of the UNLV Runnin’ Rebels Men’s Basketball Team.”
He went on to explain further: “You don’t have to spend over $1 billion to own our team (like an NBA team). I’m asking for $10-12 million to own our team, and you still get a great tax write-off.”
Pastner, who made his UNLV debut last season with an 18-17 record after long runs at Memphis and Georgia Tech, wanted to clarify those remarks on Monday.
“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,” he said. “This program belongs to UNLV, its students, alumni, fans and the Southern Nevada community and always will.”
The 48-year-old Pastner succeed John Calipari at Memphis and posted a winning record in each of his seven seasons with four NCAA Tournament appearances.
He parlayed that success to land the gig at Georgia Tech, where he couldn’t duplicate the same level of winning, making just one tournament with four losing seasons over seven years.
Pastner has been outspoken about having fewer resources to work with at UNLV.
“We need everyone engaged to be successful,” he said to close Monday’s statement.