AUSTIN — Today, Texas Land Commissioner Dawn Buckingham M.D. announced the start of the 2023 Save Texas History Top Texan Tournament, a bracket-style competition that coincides with the NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament, March Madness. The Texas-style March Madness tournament “tips-off” on Texas Independence Day and concludes shortly after Texas History Month.

 
“The Top Texan Tournament offers everyone the chance to engage with our state’s rich history in a unique and exciting way,” said Commissioner Buckingham. “From our pioneers, cowboys, and revolutionaries to our civil rights leaders, academics, and musicians, learning about the lives and achievements of Texas’ most influential leaders inspires greatness in us all and will help create the Lone Star State’s next generation of trailblazers.”
 
The first stage of the competition is the prediction round. Participants can fill out their brackets by picking matchups from 64 famous figures throughout our state's history made up of 32 men and 32 women, to determine their own Top Texan. Participants can then submit their bracket predictions before voting begins for a chance to win history-themed prizes. Voting can be accessed at the Save Texas History website. The deadline to submit predictions to the contest is March 12th at 11:59 p.m.
 
The six following voting rounds will last from March 13th to April 3rd, and a winner will be announced on April 4th. The technology used to power the bracket will automatically rank users after each round based on the accuracy of their predictions. With Top Texans Sam Houston, Stephen F. Austin, and David Crockett officially retired, this year’s tournament is guaranteed to crown a new winner!