Barstool Sports is bringing its college football show to Manchester on Thursday evening, giving UMass vs UConn an added pregame layer before the teams meet at Rentschler Field in East Hartford on Friday night. For a rivalry that Dave Portnoy has described as a bitter one, the timing fits the mood perfectly.
The show is scheduled for Elicit Brewing in Manchester from 7 p.m. to 8:30 p.m., with the event framed as a pregame tailgate ahead of the UConn vs. UMass football game. It is a straightforward idea, but one that gives local fans a same-week gathering tied directly to the game.
Why the Thursday event matters
Portnoy said he was bringing the show to Connecticut because UMass and UConn are bitter rivals, and that is the kind of sentiment that gives this matchup a sharper edge. He also said, “I expected it to be a cool Friday night environment.”
That is not just a throwaway line. It suggests the atmosphere around the game is part of the story, not just the football itself. When a show like this arrives in the middle of a rivalry week, it helps turn a regular schedule item into something that feels bigger for supporters on both sides.
UMass and UConn have played three matchups, and UConn has taken the last three meetings. UConn also enters the game with a 3-3 record after beating Temple on October 10th, which gives Friday’s meeting a little more weight even before kickoff.
A local moment around a rivalry game
For some fans, the appeal is simply seeing Barstool Sports in Manchester before the game. Randy Mirander captured that reaction, saying, “It’s crazy. I see those guys on my Instagram all the time. It’s like, I never expected them to come to UConn. You’ve got the bigger schools, like the SEC schools, but like, UConn? It’s like crazy,”
Garrison Nanke made a similar point about the visibility it could bring, saying, “I feel like Barstool representing UConn is also a big step. Usually, they do like big schools like Alabama, stuff like that. But I feel like representing UConn can really bring UConn to light. Just like the basketball team does,”
That is the broader appeal of the week. The football game is still the main event, but the Thursday gathering adds a fan-facing build-up that makes the rivalry feel more immediate.
UConn and UMass are set to play Friday at 7 p.m. at Rentschler Field in East Hartford, and the Thursday show in Manchester should ensure the conversation around the game starts well before kickoff.
