The first round of the Men's NCAA Tournament tipped off Thursday afternoon, and sports fans in Fairfield County can't contain their excitement.

“Any time you can get your boss to come here, foot the bill, and you don’t have to be in the office... it’s a pretty good deal," Charles Collier says. "Let’s just have some fun!”

Hundreds of people packed Bobby V's Restaurant & Sports Bar Thursday, and thousands are expected over the weekend.

“We have over 200 TVs in this venue alone and the best Buffalo wings in the area," Winners marketing manager Giovanni Tirollo says. "It’s the closest thing you can get to being in the arena."

The UConn men play Oklahoma Friday night, the Fairfield women play Kansas State Friday afternoon, and the UConn women play Saturday.