Board History of Athletics

At the beginning, the League was concerned mostly with the administration of the football and basketball programs. Unofficial state title football games were played beginning in 1910 with the first official game in 1919. These were discontinued by the League after the 1924 season. Unofficial title games were played off and on after that with the winner of the Class A East-West Conference game being recognized as state champion from 1938 to 1959. Official Class A and B championship football play-offs have been in effect since 1975. State champions have been determined in boys’ basketball since 1914. Schools competed in one class until 1933, at which time A and B divisions were formed. In 1948, a Class C divisions made up of the smaller schools in the League was formed. For a period of three years, 1948 through 1950, four state champions in the High School League were crowned as well as one in the Consolidated League. From 1948 through 1963 the League maintained 3 divisions for basketball, but went back to the two class system in 1964, which prevails at the present time.

The Constitution of the old Consolidated League also listed as its purpose the controlling of inter-school declamation, debate, music and athletic contests of its members. However, again, the League limited itself mainly to the administration of basketball and conducted state tournaments in the same during some years of its existence. After the 1950 season, the Consolidated League merged with the High School League, becoming a part of the “C” division, “for a 5-year trial period.” Actually, the merger has existed to the present time. It is rumored, though there is nothing in the records to verify the same, that there was a gentleman’s agreement at the time of the merger, that the Class C division would never be abolished except upon a vote of the Class C schools themselves. However, when the vote was taken in 1963 to go back to the two class system, all member schools voted on the amendment. Athletics for girls was more or less a hit or miss proposition until 1974.

The original constitution adopted in 1908 contained the following provision: “In girls’ basketball we agree that girls’ rules shall govern schools involved.” No reference of any sort concerning girls’ basketball is made in the revised constitution of 1910, but in the 1917 revision reference is again made to the same as follows: “All games in girls’ basketball played in this League shall be played under girls’ rules.” The following statement was added in 1925: “There shall be no state tournament for girls’ teams.” In an article concerning athletics for girls found in the 1933 Handbook, the following statement is made: “The Association recommends that girls do not participate in any form of interscholastic basketball or tournaments.” In 1936 a survey conducted by the League showed that 55 classified schools favored interscholastic basketball for girls with 33 participating in the same, while 75 were not in favor of interscholastic competition. Twenty-six favored holding tournaments for girls with 17 participating in such, while 99 were opposed. No reference is made to the sport in the revised Constitution and By-Laws of 1938, but the question and answer section which follows states again that, “the League has never ruled against girls’ basketball and that students in schools holding such contests must meet the eligibility rules.” The Consolidated League, however, besides authorizing girls’ basketball held state tournaments during part of their existence. During the very first years, girls’ teams used boys’ rules, but they had no state tournament series. During the 1930s, they started using girls’ rules and a tournament series was organized which continued in operation until 1950. This was continued after the merger of the two Leagues in the Class C division until 1960. Organized basketball for girls more or less disappeared from the picture until 1974 when state champions were named in both the Class A and Class B divisions.

Girls’ sports started to take a more prominent position with the NDHSAA in the mid 1960’s. Girls’ golf, tennis and track were sponsored by the NDHSAA beginning in the spring of 1966 and gymnastics was added in 1968-69. Girls’ basketball had a “re-birth “ in the fall of 1973 when the NDHSAA sponsored combined district level competition. In the fall of 1974, girls’ swimming and diving was fi rst sponsored and Class A and B basketball separated and there was a state tournament for each class. In the fall of 1979, Class A and B girls’ cross-country was first sponsored. In the winter of 1982-83, Class A girls’ volleyball was sponsored at the regional level and extended to the state tournament level in 1983-84. Class B volleyball was added through the state level in 1988-89. The last two additions were girls’ soccer which was added in the spring of 1996 and girls’ hockey added in 2002-03.

Some changes and additions were also made in boys’ sports in the last 40 years, including the Class A football play-off plan that began in the fall of 1975. Boys’ soccer was first sponsored in the fall of 1995 and sand greens golf was discontinued in 1996. The present four division football play-off series began in the fall of 1997 and Class A baseball was first sponsored in the spring of 2000.

Some historic changes which placed North Dakota on the cutting edge nationally included the three point line for boys’ basketball, adopted in 1981-82 and for girls in the fall of 1983. Class A boys’ basketball coaches tried the shot clock in 1995-96 and adopted its use in 1996-97. Then in the 2002-03 came the change that reverberated through the state and was motivated by a nationwide evolution: the switch of girls’ volleyball to the fall and girls’ basketball to the winter. It is also interesting to compare Association budgets from the early years to the present. In the first 3 years of the North Dakota High School League, the budget ranged from $30 to $45. In 1982-83 the budget was nearly a half million dollars while the 2007-08 budget is well over a million dollars.