UNLV Earns NIT Berth to Extend Inaugural Josh Pastner Season

UNLV basketball will extend their season into postseason play despite falling short of NCAA Tournament selection for the 13th consecutive year, earning a berth in the National Invitation Tournament where they will face UC Irvine on March 17 at 8 p.m. local time.\n\nThe invitation provides a welcome continuation of what has been a rebuilding first season under head coach Josh Pastner, who took over the Runnin Rebels program with the challenge of restoring their competitive standing in college basketball. The NIT bid represents a positive step forward for a program seeking to reclaim its place among the nations elite basketball programs.\n\nWe are excited to receive an invitation to the NIT and grateful for the opportunity to continue our season, Pastner said in a statement. Any time you get the chance to keep competing with your group, it is something you appreciate. For us, especially in our first year building this program, it is a great chance to continue our positive trajectory toward our larger goals.\n\nThe matchup against UC Irvine reunites two programs with contrasting recent fortunes and expectations. While UNLV continues building under new leadership, the Anteaters enter the tournament with a sense of disappointment after capturing the Big West regular season title only to see their automatic NCAA Tournament bid disappear with a conference championship game loss to Hawaii on Saturday.\n\nThis represents the second time in three years that UNLV has participated in the NIT, following their impressive 2024 run that saw them advance to the quarterfinals before falling to Seton Hall. That previous experience provides valuable context for how the program views postseason opportunities and the potential for momentum building heading into future seasons.\n\nUC Irvine brings their own motivation to the contest, feeling slighted by their exclusion from the NCAA Tournament despite their regular season success in the Big West Conference. The Anteaters controlled their own destiny entering the conference tournament but were unable to capitalize on their opportunity, creating the frustration that often fuels strong NIT performances.\n\nThe teams last met in 2012, when a UNLV squad featuring freshman Anthony Bennett and ranked 24th nationally dominated the Anteaters in an 85-57 victory that showcased the type of program excellence the current Rebels are working to restore. That historical context adds intrigue to a matchup between programs moving in different directions.\n\nFor Pastner, the NIT invitation validates the foundational work being accomplished during his inaugural season in Las Vegas. The veteran coach brings extensive experience from his previous stops, and the opportunity to continue developing team chemistry and individual players through additional meaningful games represents significant value for program building.\n\nThe tournament format provides UNLV with the chance to build on whatever momentum they can generate from their first-round matchup. Should they advance past UC Irvine, the Rebels would face the winner of the Tulsa versus Stephen F. Austin game in the second round, scheduled for either March 21 or 22 at a location yet to be determined.\n\nWhile missing the NCAA Tournament extends UNLV longest drought since their glory days, the NIT provides a realistic opportunity to showcase program progress and create positive experiences for players who have committed to the rebuilding process. The exposure and additional games offer valuable development opportunities that could pay dividends in future seasons.\n\nThe Rebels understanding that sustained success requires patience and consistent progress makes this NIT berth particularly meaningful. Rather than viewing it as consolation, the program can approach the tournament as another step in their longer-term vision of returning UNLV basketball to national prominence.\n\nWith tipoff scheduled for Monday evening, UNLV has little time to prepare for an opponent that will be motivated to prove they deserved better than an NIT berth while the Rebels look to extend a season that represents the foundation for future success.