Chico State has been crowned the winner of the 2023-24 Robert J. Hiegert Commissioner's Cup with 89.15 points.
 
When the final ball stopped bouncing and the last jump was taken, only 1.02 points separated the top three teams in the standings, but it was the Wildcats edging out Cal Poly Pomona (88.63) and Cal State San Marcos (88.13) to receive the honor as the conference's top overall athletic department in 2023-24.

 

2023-24 Robert J. Hiegert Cup Standings
Chico State	89.15
Cal Poly Pomona	88.63
Cal State San Marcos	88.13
Cal State LA	81.7
Cal State San Bernardino	72.91
Sonoma State	68.54
Cal State Monterey Bay	65.51
Stanislaus State	58.18
Cal State East Bay	51.63
San Francisco State	46.66
Cal Poly Humboldt	46.53
Cal State Dominguez Hills	44.24

The award, named in honor of former long-time Commissioner and CCAA Hall of Famer Robert J. Hiegert, is given to the California Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) member institution with the highest aggregate ranking in eight of the CCAA's 13 championship sports.
 
“It is truly an honor to accept the Robert J. Hiegert Commissioner’s Cup on behalf of our 2023-24 Wildcats,” said Anita Barker, Chico State's Director of Athletics. “This Cup belongs to our entire Wildcat Family – the student-athletes, coaches, athletics staff and our campus community. It is a testament to all who dedicate every day in supporting our student-athletes and represent the very best of Chico State. The CCAA is the most competitive NCAA Division II conference, as evidenced by the close standings this year. We do not take this award for granted. Thank you to all who put their best forward this year!”
 
The Wildcats posted a perfect score of 26 in the fall, with their men's and women's cross country teams winning CCAA Championships. Both basketball teams finishing in the top four were critical factors in the Hiegert Cup's return to Chico. The men's team finished fourth, and the women's team finished second. In the spring, the men's and women's track & field teams each placed second. The Wildcats also earned top-four finishes from their soccer programs to round out their 89.15 points. Just one spot lower in the standings for either basketball team, and Chico would have dropped to third in the Commissioner's Cup.
 
Chico State has now won seven of the last 12 Hiegert Commissioner's Cups with retiring Director of Athletics Anita Barker at the helm. The seven commissioner's cups are the second-most in CCAA history (UC San Diego, 8).
 
"It has been unbelievable what Chico State has been able to accomplish this year, but this is really a department-wide trophy," said CCAA Commissioner Allen Hardison. "From student-athletes to coaches to the administration and the president, so many are involved in winning a prestigious award like the Hiegert Commissioner's Cup. Congratulations to Chico State and Anita on an amazing year."
 
Cal Poly Pomona collected 88.63 points to place second. It was the Broncos' 10th consecutive season finishing in the top three. CPP made a run up the standings in the spring by winning the men's and women's track & field championships, and the baseball team placed third. Cal Poly Pomona also won the women's soccer title and finished in the top three in six more sports.
 
Cal State San Marcos won the softball, women's basketball, and women's soccer tournaments. CSUSM added regular season titles in women's golf and women's basketball. The Cougars made the CCAA postseason in all but one sport to accumulate 88.13 points.
 
Cal State LA placed fourth with 81.7 points. The Golden Eagles tied for the regular-season volleyball championship and won the men's basketball tournament. Their men's soccer team also swept the regular-season and tournament titles for the second time in three years.
 
Fifth place went to Cal State San Bernardino with 72.91 points. The Coyotes won the volleyball regular season and tournament and tied for the men's basketball regular season championship.
 
Sonoma State (68.54), Cal State Monterey Bay (65.51), Stanislaus State (58.18), Cal State East Bay (51.63), San Francisco State (46.66), Cal Poly Humboldt (46.53), and Cal State Dominguez Hills (44.24) round out the 2023-24 Hiegert Cup Standings.
 
An institution's Hiegert Cup ranking is calculated using its top two Conference finishes in the fall, winter, and spring sports seasons and the next two highest finishes, regardless of the season. The specific number of points garnered per sport is determined by the number of institutions that sponsor the sport.

Past Robert J. Hiegert Commissioner's Cup Winners
2005-06                     UC San Diego
2006-07                     UC San Diego
2007-08                     UC San Diego
2008-09                     UC San Diego
2009-10                     UC San Diego
2010-11                     Chico State
2011-12                     Chico State
2012-13                     Chico State
2013-14                     Chico State
2014-15                     Cal Poly Pomona
2015-16                     UC San Diego
2016-17                     UC San Diego
2017-18                     Chico State
2018-19                     UC San Diego
2019-20                     Suspended (COVID)
2020-21                     No Seasons
2021-22                     Chico State
2022-23                    Cal State San Marcos
2023-24                    Chico State