As the country warms up for the Men’s Final Four basketball games this weekend, the Collegiate Licensing Company (the trademark licensing affiliate of IMG College), and the NCAA are coordinating to clear the marketplace of potential counterfeit and unlicensed merchandise.

CLC, the exclusive agent for the NCAA and all four finalist teams–the University of Connecticut, University of Florida, University of Kentucky and the University of Wisconsin–will work with Dallas, Texas, and Arlington, Texas, officials as well as Homeland Security Investigations to patrol the area in search of counterfeit merchandise and any other unauthorized use of trademarks owned by the NCAA and the participating institutions.

It is estimated that retail sales of licensed merchandise during the Division I Men’s Basketball Championship exceeds $10 million. On average, 1,000 or more pieces of counterfeit collegiate merchandise, ranging from t-shirts to hats, are seized outside the host venue of the Men’s Final Four each year.

“Our goal is to make the Men’s Final Four a positive experience for the fans and consumers by helping to protect the brands of our client institutions,” says Bruce Siegal, senior vice president and general counsel, CLC. “By teaming with area law enforcement in North Texas, we are able to aggressively cover the venue and event areas, stop bootleggers, and ensure that customers are not taken advantage of by merchants selling inferior and counterfeit products.”