The North Dakota High School Activities Association Board of Directors met in Valley City on March 31 to discuss several agenda items, including changes to girls hockey regions and the approval of future tournament sites.
These decisions are significant for schools, athletes, and coaches across North Dakota as they shape the structure of high school sports for upcoming years. The creation of two regions for girls hockey will begin with the 2026-27 school year. Tournament sites for the 2027 Girls Hockey Region will be decided at the June board meeting.
The board also approved specifics regarding an Out of Season Coaching “Dead Period,” which restricts contact between high school coaches and student athletes during certain times. In addition, a new mentorship program called the NDHSAA Athletic Directors Compass Program was approved. This initiative will employ recently retired athletic directors from member schools to mentor first-year athletic directors statewide starting in the 2026-27 school year. More information about this program is expected to be published on the NDHSAA website in April.
Tournament locations for boys and girls basketball regionals in 2027 and 2028 were confirmed, along with wrestling and boys hockey regional sites for winter tournaments in 2027. Details about these venues can be found on the NDHSAA’s official calendar online. The Bavendick Center at Bismarck State College was chosen as host site for the Division A Girls Basketball State Tournament scheduled from March 4-6, 2027.
North Dakota State Superintendent Levi Bachmeier addressed the board with updates from his recent tour of state schools and spoke about how interscholastic activities benefit students.
In a separate annual General Assembly Meeting held March 30 in Fargo, member schools approved an amendment to re-transfer rules effective July 1, 2026. Nominations were also finalized for three open positions on next year’s board representing Class A East, Class B Northeast, and Native American At-Large categories.
The next regular meeting is set for June 10 in Valley City.
