The team began playing at the Division I level in 1994–95, and shortly thereafter won a regular-season conference title in the four-team
American West Conference (since disbanded) with a 5–1 record in 1996. The 1995–96 championship season saw Cal Poly's
Ben Larson average 3.45 steals per game, the third-most in NCAA history, while winning the AWC Player of the Year award. The Mustangs then joined the Big West ahead of the 1996–97 school year. In 2009,
ESPN selected Ernie Wheeler (1972–86) as the top coach in school history, along with
Derek Stockalper as the best player in program history (joined by Jim Schultz, Mike Wozniak,
Mike LaRoche and Varnie Dennis as the network's then-all time starting five). Wozniak became the all-time scoring leader in school history. Just a year later, however, Chris Bjorklund broke Wozniak's career program record of 1,903 points, graduating in 2001 after scoring a still-standing total of 2,006.
Cal Poly advanced to its first Division I
NCAA Tournament in 2014 after a historic run in the
Big West Conference tournament, becoming the first 7th seed to win the championship, as the Mustangs defeated CSUN, 61–59, following a go-ahead 3-pointer made by Ridge Shipley at the
Honda Center. Cal Poly earned the 16th seed and defeated
Texas Southern in the NCAA first round in
Dayton. Cal Poly then advanced to the 2nd Round, where they were defeated by unbeaten top seed
Wichita State 64–37. Prior to the 2014 conference tournament championship-game victory, Cal Poly advanced to the
Big West Championship Game on two other occasions: in 2003 (falling to Utah State) and 2007 (to Long Beach State). == The Blue-Green rivalry ==