March Madness is underway, and the first days of the tournament are already delivering surprises, including a mid-major No. 12 seed in High Point knocking off No. 5 seed Wisconsin.

The early-round upset set the tone for a tournament that fans say brings an intensity rivaling other major sporting events.

Across Boston, bars are filling with fans following both the men’s and women’s brackets. With a combined 18 national championships, the UConn Huskies remain a focal point for many in New England hoping to see another title run.

“I’m from Connecticut, so UConn is pretty much all we have to live for,” said Claire Fagan, a bartender Banners Kitchen & Tap sports bar. “We don’t have any pro sports team, so March is like our Mecca month — especially for the women.”

Massachusetts Gov. Maura Healey echoed the regional pride.

“I’m double UConn, you know,” she said. “New England!”

Richard ‘Rip’ Hamilton says the excitement of the NCAA tournament is unlike anything else in basketball and believes UConn has what it takes to win another national championship. The Huskies legend also shared what he believes is the secret behind UConn basketball programs’ long-standing success.

Fagan added that Huskies fans carry a confidence familiar to Boston sports culture.

“We think that we own the world of college basketball. We’re not humble,” she said. “It’s like Boston sports fans, but for college.”

The tournament also features local talent, including projected top NBA draft pick AJ Dybantsa, a Brockton native drawing national attention.

Still, men’s college basketball programs in Massachusetts have struggled to make recent tournament appearances. Northeastern was the last from the state to reach the NCAA tournament in 2019.

At bars, the steady stream of games is translating into brisk business as fans track their brackets — many of which are already busted.

“You want to see the Michigan people, the Ohio people, all of that, college football and stuff like that,” said Sean McDonald, a bartender. “But college basketball — when you see them coming in like this — it’s unbelievable.”

Nick Moniz, general manager of Banners Kitchen & Tap, says the tournament comes at a perfect time on the sports calendar.

“Title Town — we’ve got the Bruins, Celtics and Pats,” he said. “End of the Celtics and Bruins season, March Madness — not just for the men’s, but the women’s, as well — you’ve got Masters in a couple weeks, you’ve got baseball starting up. It’s one of the best times of the year.”