State Superintendent Levi Bachmeier and the North Dakota High School Activities Association (NDHSAA) today announced the creation of the Dakota Cup, a new statewide high school scholarship competition designed to highlight academic achievement and excellence across NDHSAA sanctioned student activities.
“In an age of constant digital distraction, getting students involved in activities that connect them to people, purpose and community matters more than ever.” State Superintendent Levi Bachmeier said. “Research has long demonstrated a strong connection between co-curricular participation and academic success. The Dakota Cup is designed to make it just as easy to cheer for academic achievement as it is athletic achievement. This competition puts all sports and fine arts on equal footing, encouraging schools and communities to recognize and celebrate lesser acknowledged activities with the same vigor we do our most cherished.”
The Dakota Cup provides a unified framework to recognize schools that excel both in the classroom and in co-curricular programs. By awarding performance points in academics and equally among all 27 NDHSAA activities that host a statewide competition, the Dakota Cup encourages broader student participation, promotes well-rounded school programs, and elevates academic performance alongside activities.
"The NDHSAA is ecstatic about the Dakota Cup, which represents everything high school extracurriculars should be about— celebrating the whole student." NDHSAA Executive Director Matt Fetsch said. "By honoring excellence across athletics, the fine arts, and academics, this creates a platform that recognizes schools not just for how they perform on the field, but for how they nurture talent, creativity, and intellect across their entire student body.”
Dakota Cup Scoring Overview: Schools earn points based 50% on academics and 50% on activities, creating a comprehensive score that determines Dakota Cup standings, tracked across three divisions that align with NDSHAA activities (AA, A, B). The winning high school in each division will be awarded scholarship dollars to distribute to students in academic good standing and participating in at least one NDHSAA co-curricular activity. NDDPI and NDHSAA are actively fundraising; the total award for winning high schools will be announced before the end of the school year.
Academic Scoring
Academic indicators are equally weighted and include:
• Attendance Rate
• ND A+ Proficiency
• ND A+ Growth
• Choice Ready Rate
• Graduation Rate
• Student Engagement
Each indicator counts toward one‑sixth of the academic portion.
Activity Scoring
Activity scoring is based on performance across all 27 NDHSAA‑sanctioned activities, including athletics and fine arts. Points are awarded to the top eight high schools at each team state championship:
- 1st: 10 points
- 2nd: 8 points
- 3rd: 6 points
- 4th: 5 points
- 5th: 4 points
- 6th: 3 points
- 7th: 2 points
- 8th: 1 point