UNLV men’s basketball coach Josh Pastner retracted remarks made to a local television reporter in which he placed a monetary value on his program and suggested it could be owned by a wealthy backer. In his initial comments, Pastner proposed that potential investors in Las Vegas might find greater value in acquiring a college basketball team rather than pursuing an NBA franchise for the region.
Pastner had told the reporter that prospective owners could acquire operational control of the Runnin’ Rebels for between $10 million and $12 million. He emphasized that such an arrangement would offer financial advantages compared to the considerably higher costs associated with owning a professional basketball team. Pastner noted that buyers would receive tax benefits while gaining the ability to exercise significant influence over program operations and branding.
The coaching staff’s statements reflected shifts in college athletics governance models. Various universities have begun accepting investments from private equity sources and restructuring their athletic departments into independent corporate entities, making the concept of program “ownership” less hypothetical than in previous years.
Following widespread circulation of Pastner’s original interview, UNLV’s athletics department issued a lighthearted social media response comparing the $10 million figure to prices of other luxury items. Pastner subsequently released a clarifying statement emphasizing that his reference to an “owner” was meant to illustrate the financial resources and sponsorship support necessary for competitive success in modern college sports. He stressed that the Runnin’ Rebels program remains under university control and is not available for purchase.
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