AUSTIN — The NCAA Men's Final Four gets underway in San Antonio this weekend. Basketball fans may notice a nod to Texas history in the official licensed merchandise for this year's Final Four: The Alamo's iconic roofline is incorporated into the design. Every licensed item sold will help reinforce the Alamo.

Sales of official Final Four merchandise bearing the Alamo roofline - which consists of two T-shirt licensees and one baseball cap licensee - will directly benefit the Alamo. A percentage of each sale - 6% of shirts and 4% of hats - goes to the Alamo's operational budget. These funds support the Alamo's daily operations, including staff, living history, exhibits, and other daily needs and initiatives at the Shrine of Texas Liberty. Proceeds go into the Alamo Complex account, which is managed by the Texas General Land Office as state law requires.

"The Alamo is the heart of San Antonio and Texas," said Texas Land Commissioner George P. Bush. "It's only right that when the Alamo City hosts the Final Four, the Alamo itself plays a prominent role and benefits. We are pleased to partner with the private sector to highlight the heart of Texas and help fund the Alamo through officially licensed merchandise that directly contributes to the Alamo's operations."

Examples of the official licensed designs are:

The Texas General Land Office (GLO) operates the Alamo on behalf of the people of Texas, and manages the Alamo's trademark on behalf of the state. Any merchandise bearing any unlicensed logos or other artwork bearing the Alamo's iconic roofline may violate the Alamo's trademark. The GLO will be monitoring for trademark violators during Final Four in San Antonio, to vigorously defend the Alamo's intellectual property. Commissioner Bush has set up a task force to defend the Alamo trademark.

Final Four fans can learn more about the Alamo on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.

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