North Dakota Preps disappeared about a year ago. If you’re here, you probably know what it was. If not, the short version is simple: it was an online forum for people who cared about high school sports in North Dakota. Fans posted scores, shared memories, debated historical teams, and argued about just about everything.
It filled a void. And if I’m being honest, maybe that’s what I’m doing here too.
The Wild West
In the mid-2000s, before social media took over everything, North Dakota Preps was pure chaos. It was essentially the bodybuilding.com forums of those days, but for North Dakota athletics. (If you know, you know) High school kids were on there talking trash. Some made fake accounts pretending to be from rival towns just to stir things up. It was hilarious.Later on the site cleaned up a little. The mods got better, people chilled out (kinda), and the forum became more about actual games and less about who could troll the hardest. But those early days? Legendary.
I’m not biased, you’re biased
One of the funniest things about North Dakota Preps toward the end was the “not biased” posters. They’d never admit it, but it was obvious. When it came to awards, playoff picks, or anything that involved recognition, they only ever pushed for their school. They wanted people to believe it was just a wild coincidence. Every. Freakin’. Time.
For all the noise, the site did a lot of good. People posted scores from across the state. They shared schedules and wrote recaps from games they went to. They’d predict the playoffs, talk about awards, and highlight standout players.
Even better, North Dakota Preps built up a library of history: old records, champions, and data that would be a goldmine for anyone writing about North Dakota sports now. That’s the part I wish still existed.
No One Was Safe
Most posters were careful about going after athletes, which was the right call since, uhh they’re kids. But coaches, referees, the NDHSAA, and other fans? Open season. There would be some long back and forth that would devolve from the original topic to a complete mess of an argument between two people. They would also quote message everything, and the messages would take up your entire screen because Walt can’t internet.
The “evil NDHSAA” jokes were a staple. They’re not evil. They’ve got a tough job and someone will get pissed no matter what decision is made. That being said, some of the wounds they give themselves are easy targets, and people on the forum never let them off the hook. Death by a thousand paper cuts.
What Does It Look Like Now?
If you try to visit the site today, here’s what you get:
Not much left of what it once was.
Thanks For The Memories
I don’t know why North Dakota Preps shut down. Maybe it was time, maybe money, maybe the internet just moved on. But it mattered.
It gave people like me a place to talk sports, rep our towns, vent about refs, and laugh at each other’s nonsense. It was part of being a high school sports fan in this state for almost two decades.
So yeah — pour one out for North Dakota Preps. Thanks for the ride.
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