SPORTS TEAM HISTORY

Sports Team HistorySports Logo History
  • Home
  • Sports History
    • Baseball History
    • Basketball History
    • College History
    • Football History
    • Hockey History
    • Soccer History
  • Greatest Player Polls
  • More…
    • STH News
    • Team History Forum
    • Sports Team History Products
STH #3 Home Header 1440x650

Cal Poly Mustangs School History

STH Greatest Player Polls Banner
Sports Forum Banner
STH Products Sale Banner
Sports News History Banner
Cal Poly Mustangs




  • 1901
  • 1940
  • 1962
  • 1993
  • 1994
  • 2005
  • 2017
  • Cal Poly Mustangs football team plays its first game

    In 1901: Cal Poly Mustangs football team plays its first game, losing to the Santa Maria Athletic Club 6-0.
    See Full Story
  • Cal Poly Mustangs men’s basketball team beginning

    1940: Cal Poly Mustangs men’s basketball team is founded.
    See Full Story
  • Cal Poly Mustangs baseball team wins its first conference championship

    In 1962: Cal Poly Mustangs baseball team wins its first conference championship.
    See Full Story
  • Cal Poly Mustangs football team wins

    In 1993: Cal Poly Mustangs football team wins its first conference championship.
    See Full Story
  • Cal Poly Mustangs men’s soccer team wins its first conference championship

    In 1994: Cal Poly Mustangs men’s soccer team wins its first conference championship.
    See Full Story
  • Chris Gocong

    Chris Gocong is a former American football linebacker who played for the Cal Poly Mustangs from 2002 to 2005. He was a standout player for the Mustangs and was recognized for his excellent performance on the field. During his time at Cal Poly, Gocong set a school record with 23.5 sacks and was named the Great West Conference Defensive Player ...
    Read More
    See Full Story
  • Cal Poly Mustangs women’s soccer team wins its first conference championship

    In 2017: Cal Poly Mustangs women’s soccer team wins its first conference championship.
    See Full Story
Mustangs Primary Logo
Mustangs Alternate Logo
Mustangs Wordmark Logo

History of the Mustangs

The Cal Poly Mustangs are an NCAA Division I athletics program with a long and proud history of excellence. The Mustangs have been competing in the Big West Conference since 1996, and they have achieved great success over the years. From winning multiple conference championships to making several appearances in the NCAA Tournament, there is no doubt that Cal Poly Mustang sports teams are among some of the best in college sports today.

Since joining Division, I play, Cal Poly has won seven regular season titles across four different conferences (Big West Conference - 5; Great West Conference - 1; Pacific Coast Athletic Association – 1). They also won two tournament titles as members of those same four conferences (Big West – 2). In addition to these successes on the field, many former players from this school have competed at higher levels, such as in professional leagues or Olympic Games.

Regarding individual accolades for athletes associated with this program, there’s plenty worth noting here too! For starters: five student-athletes earned All-American honors while playing for them between 2005 and 2019, including one named National Player Of The Year in 2006! Additionally, three other individuals were honored with Academic All-American status by CoSIDA during those same years—a testament to their athletic prowess and academic achievement within their respective fields/majors at university-level studies too! Lastly, we can’t forget about all ten coaches who received Coach Of The Year awards throughout various seasons spanning from 1992 until now either–which goes without saying speaks volumes about how much respect & recognition these people carry amongst peers around countrywide collegiate circles alike…and rightfully so indeed!!

Overall it's clear why so many fans love following along with every game & event involving our beloved Mustangs squad each season--they've proven themselves worthy contenders year after year, both athletically AND academically speaking, which makes them stand out even more than most other programs nationwide nowadays if you ask me personally 😉 So whether you're cheering from home or attending events live at Mott Athletics Center, show your support proudly because when it comes down, nothing beats being a part fan of something special like THIS!!!





College Sports Established
1907

Location
San Luis Obispo, California

College Name
California Polytechnic State University

Collegiate History
1994 - Present / NCAA Division 1
1973 - 1993 / NCAA Division II
1937 - 1972 / NCAA College Division

Conference History
1994 - Present / Big West Conference
1993 - 1994 / American West Conference

Nickname
Mustangs - The Cal Poly Mustangs are an NCAA Division I athletic program known for its fierce rivalry with UC Santa Barbara. But many fans don’t know the origin of the team's nickname, which has existed since 1924.

The story goes back to 1923, when a group of students from California Polytechnic School in San Luis Obispo formed a football team and needed a name for it. After much debate, they settled on “Mustangs” because they admired the wild horses in nearby hillsides and valleys throughout Central California. The school adopted this moniker as its official nickname shortly after that, making it one of only two NCAA teams (the other being TCU) named after equines rather than predators or birds like most others do today!

Since then, Cal Poly Mustangs have become synonymous with excellence on and off the field; they have won numerous conference championships over the years while maintaining high academic standards amongst their student-athletes – something few other programs can boast about! From its humble beginnings nearly 100 years ago until now, Cal Poly Mustangs will always be remembered as one of college sports' greatest nicknames – thanks mainly to those original students who chose such an appropriate representation for their beloved school back in 1923!

NCAA Championships
Baseball 0

Men's Basketball 0

Women's Basketball 0

Football 0

Soccer 0

Who is the greatest Cal Poly Mustangs?
  • Add your greatest player

To qualify as the greatest player for this team, the player must have played one season for this team. If not, we will remove the player.
* verifies that player has played for this team as an added player by a fan.

Sports News History

Sports News Worth Knowing

RSS NCAA Football Headline News

  • Ole Miss adds top WR transfer target Franklin
  • Ole Miss lands UTSA WR Zakhari Franklin, the top player available in transfer portal
  • Urban Meyer goes after NIL collectives in college football: ‘It’s a fancy word for cheating’
  • Big 12 doesn’t rule out further expansion
  • Can Florida State pull this off? Will Clemson rise again? Connelly breaks down the ACC

Sports Market History

Sports Team Marketplace of Champions!

College Logo Battle

Greatest Player Polls

STH Product Sale

College Schools
Menu
  • ACC
    • Boston College Eagles
    • Clemson Tigers
    • Duke Blue Devils
    • Florida State Seminoles
    • Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets
    • Louisville Cardinals
    • Miami Hurricanes
    • North Carolina State Wolfpack
    • North Carolina Tar Heels
    • Notre Dame Fighting Irish
    • Pittsburgh Panthers
    • Syracuse Orange
    • Virginia Cavaliers
    • Virginia Tech Hokies
    • Wake Forest Demon Deacons
  • American Athletic
    • Central Florida Knights
    • Cincinnati Bearcats
    • East Carolina Pirates
    • Houston Cougars
    • Memphis Tigers
    • SMU Mustangs
    • South Florida Bulls
    • Temple Owls
    • Tulane Green Wave
    • Tulsa Golden Hurricane
    • Wichita State Shockers
  • ASUN
    • Austin Peay Governors
    • Bellarmine Knights
    • Central Arkansas Bears
    • Eastern Kentucky Colonels
    • Florida Gulf Coast Eagles
    • Jacksonville Dolphins
    • Jacksonville State Gamecocks
    • Kennesaw State Owls
    • Liberty Flames
    • Lipscomb Bisons
    • North Alabama Lions
    • North Florida Ospreys
    • Stetson Hatters
  • Atlantic 10
    • Davidson Wildcats
    • Dayton Flyers
    • Duquesne Dukes
    • Fordham Rams
    • George Mason Patriots
    • George Washington Colonials
    • La Salle Explorers
    • Loyola Ramblers
    • Massachusetts Minutemen
    • Rhode Island Rams
    • Richmond Spiders
    • Saint Louis Billikens
    • St. Bonaventure Bonnies
    • St. Joseph’s Hawks
    • Virginia Commonwealth Rams
  • Big 10
    • Illinois Fighting Illini
    • Indiana Hoosiers
    • Iowa Hawkeyes
    • Maryland Terrapins
    • Michigan State Spartans
    • Michigan Wolverines
    • Minnesota Golden Gophers
    • Nebraska Cornhuskers
    • Northwestern Wildcats
    • Ohio State Buckeyes
    • Penn State Nittany Lions
    • Purdue Boilermakers
    • Rutgers Scarlet Knights
    • Wisconsin Badgers
  • Big 12
    • Baylor Bears
    • Iowa State Cyclones
    • Kansas Jayhawks
    • Kansas State Wildcats
    • Oklahoma Sooners
    • Oklahoma State Cowboys
    • TCU Horned Frogs
    • Texas Longhorns
    • Texas Tech Red Raiders
    • West Virginia Mountaineers
  • Big East
    • Butler Bulldogs
    • Connecticut Huskies
    • Creighton Bluejays
    • DePaul Blue Demons
    • Georgetown Hoyas
    • Marquette Golden Eagles
    • Providence Friars
    • Seton Hall Pirates
    • St. John’s Red Storm
    • Villanova Wildcats
    • Xavier Musketeers
  • Big Sky
    • Eastern Washington Eagles
    • Idaho State Bengals
    • Idaho Vandals
    • Montana Grizzlies
    • Montana State Bobcats
    • Northern Arizona Lumberjacks
    • Northern Colorado Bears
    • Portland State Vikings
    • Sacramento State Hornets
    • Weber State Wildcats
    • Past Teams
      • Southern Utah Thunderbirds
  • Big West
    • Cal Poly Mustangs
    • Cal State Bakersfield Roadrunners
    • Cal State Fullerton Titans
    • Cal State Northridge Matadors
    • Hawaii Warriors
    • Long Beach State 49ers
    • UC Davis Aggies
    • UC Irvine Anteaters
    • UC Riverside Highlanders
    • UC San Diego Tritons
    • UC Santa Barbara Gauchos
  • C-USA
    • Charlotte 49ers
    • FIU Panthers
    • Florida Atlantic Owls
    • Louisiana Tech Bulldogs
    • Middle Tennessee Blue Raiders
    • North Texas Mean Green
    • Rice Owls
    • UAB Blazers
    • UTEP Miners
    • UTSA Roadrunners
    • Western Kentucky Hilltoppers
    • Future Team
      • Sam Houston State Bearkats
  • Ivy
    • Brown Bears
    • Columbia Lions
    • Cornell Big Red
    • Dartmouth Big Green
    • Harvard Crimson
    • Penn Quakers
    • Princeton Tigers
    • Yale Bulldogs
  • MAC
    • Akron Zips
    • Ball State Cardinals
    • Bowling Green Falcons
    • Buffalo Bulls
    • Central Michigan Chippewas
    • Eastern Michigan Eagles
    • Kent State Golden Flashes
    • Miami (Ohio) Redhawks
    • Northern Illinois Huskies
    • Ohio Bobcats
    • Toledo Rockets
    • Western Michigan Broncos
  • Missouri Valley
    • Belmont Bruins
    • Bradley Braves
    • Drake Bulldogs
    • Evansville Purple Aces
    • Illinois State Redbirds
    • Indiana State Sycamores
    • Missouri State Bears
    • Murray State Racers
    • Northern Iowa Panthers
    • Southern Illinois Salukis
    • UIC Flames
    • Valparaiso Beacons
  • Mountain West
    • Air Force Falcons
    • Boise State Broncos
    • Colorado State Rams
    • Fresno State Bulldogs
    • Nevada Wolf Pack
    • New Mexico Lobos
    • San Diego State Aztecs
    • San Jose State Spartans
    • UNLV Rebels
    • Utah State Aggies
    • Wyoming Cowboys
  • Ohio Valley
    • Eastern Illinois Panthers
    • Lindenwood Lions
    • Little Rock Trojans
    • Morehead State Eagles
    • SE Missouri State Redhawks
    • SIU Edwardsville Cougars
    • Southern Indiana Screaming Eagles
    • Tennessee-Martin Skyhawks
    • Tennessee State Tigers
    • Tennessee Tech Golden Eagles
  • PAC 12
    • Arizona State Sun Devils
    • Arizona Wildcats
    • California Golden Bears
    • Colorado Buffaloes
    • Oregon Ducks
    • Oregon State Beavers
    • Southern California Trojans
    • Stanford Cardinal
    • UCLA Bruins
    • Utah Utes
    • Washington Huskies
    • Washington State Cougars
  • Patriot
    • American Eagles
    • Army Black Knights
    • Boston Terriers
    • Bucknell Bisons
    • Colgate Raiders
    • Holy Cross Crusaders
    • Lafayette Leopards
    • Lehigh Mountain Hawks
    • Loyola-Maryland Greyhounds
    • Navy Midshipmen
  • SEC
    • Alabama Crimson Tide
    • Arkansas Razorbacks
    • Auburn Tigers
    • Florida Gators
    • Georgia Bulldogs
    • Kentucky Wildcats
    • LSU Tigers
    • Mississippi State Bulldogs
    • Missouri Tigers
    • Ole Miss Rebels
    • South Carolina Gamecocks
    • Tennessee Volunteers
    • Texas A&M Aggies
    • Vanderbilt Commodores
  • Southland
    • Houston Christian Huskies
    • Incarnate Word Cardinals
    • Lamar Cardinals
    • McNeese Cowboys
    • New Orleans Privateers
    • Nicholls State Colonels
    • Northwestern State Demons
    • Southeastern Louisiana Lions
    • Texas A&M Commerce Lions
    • Texas A&M–Corpus Christi Islanders
  • Southwestern
    • Alabama A&M Bulldogs
    • Alabama State Hornets
    • Alcorn State Braves
    • Arkansas-PB Golden Lions
    • Bethune–Cookman Wildcats
    • Florida A&M Rattlers
    • Grambling State Tigers
    • Jackson State Tigers
    • Mississippi Valley State Delta Devils
    • Prairie View A&M Panthers
    • Southern Jaguars
    • Texas Southern Tigers
  • Sun Belt
    • Appalachian State Mountaineers
    • Arkansas State Red Wolves
    • Coastal Carolina Chanticleers
    • Georgia Southern Eagles
    • Georgia State Panthers
    • James Madison Dukes
    • Louisiana Ragin’ Cajuns
    • Louisiana–Monroe Warhawks
    • Marshall Thundering Herd
    • Old Dominion Monarchs
    • South Alabama Jaguars
    • Southern Miss Golden Eagles
    • Texas State Bobcats
    • Troy Trojans
  • West Coast
    • BYU Cougars
    • Gonzaga Bulldogs
    • Loyola Marymount Lions
    • Pacific Tigers
    • Pepperdine Waves
    • Portland Pilots
    • Saint Marys Gaels
    • San Diego Toreros
    • San Francisco Dons
    • Santa Clara Broncos
  • WAC
    • Abilene Christian Wildcats

STH News

Latest Sports Team History News

The Life and Times of Pat Riley

June 5, 2023

From Toronto Arenas To Maple Leafs A Complete History

June 1, 2023

Unforgettable Rivalries in NBA History

May 31, 2023

The Three-Peat History of Georgia Bulldogs Football

May 31, 2023

Generic selectors
Exact matches only
Search in title
Search in content
Post Type Selectors
Search in posts
Search in pages
Sports Logo History
Sports News History
Sports Market History
  • About
  • Contact
  • Disclaimer
  • Privacy Policy

Sports Team History
© 2013 - 2023 Sports History Group LLC - All Rights Reserved
  • Arizona Hotshots
  • Atlanta Legends
  • Birmingham Iron
  • Memphis Express
  • Orlando Apollos
  • Salt Lake Stallions
  • San Antonio Commanders
  • San Diego Fleet