BISMARCK — Girls soccer teams in the Western Dakota Association (WDA) will have one fewer option to qualify for the state soccer tournament after conference officials elected to eliminate the state qualifying games. Instead the top four teams in the conference standings will advance to the state tournament.

The historical process was for the WDA to play the regular season and based on the standings at the end of the regular season, a tournament would be held with seeding based on the standings and the outcome of that tournament would place the teams into the North Dakota High School Activities Association (NDHSAA) state tournament.

Beginning with this year’s season, the top four teams in the conference standings at the conclusion of the regular season will advance to the NDHSAA state tournament.

With the recent additions of Williston in 2022 and Dickinson in 2023, coupled with the expected addition of Minot North in 2025, there will be ten teams in the WDA with limited time for the regular season. The goal in eliminating the tournament is to return a week from postseason play for regular season play.

Having the WDA tournament increases the chance for a team to improve from the halfway point of the season and find a better path towards the NDHSAA state tournament with higher seeding by winning the WDA tournament.

Not having the WDA tournament places a higher level of importance on each regular season match as the final standings will dictate what teams advance to state play and at what seeding they advance.

The WDA officials will revisit a tournament play situation in the future if necessary.