The Cal State University Monterey Bay golf program is going to be placed under investigation by the California Collegiate Athletic Association -- by commissioner Robert J. Hiegert, personally.

"I am going to have to spend a lot of time reviewing the golf program," Hiegert said Thursday.

Hiegert indicated it will be a hands-on investigation -- as in his hands on his golf clubs, playing courses on the Peninsula during visits to the newest dot on the CCAA's map.

But make no mistake, said Hiegert: CSUMB is not going to be just any ordinary dot. It is going to become a destination point for virtually every booster club in the CCAA, which has member schools from San Diego to Chico. The Peninsula's reputation as the No. 1 golf destination in the world, as well as the lure of Carmel and Cannery Row, stands to make CSUMB a popular place to come.

"You are going to see people like the (Cal State) Bakersfield boosters making this a two-night stay, as opposed to one," Hiegert said after a formal welcoming ceremony at the Otter Sports Center, marking CSUMB's signing with the CCAA as part of the university's move to the NCAA Division II level of competition. "That's an important part of this, to the conference and the university."

Hiegert said the conference sees CSUMB as a rising star. "There is tremendous potential at this university," he said. "We are delighted they decided to join our conference."

The CCAA is called the "Conference of Champions" in Division II, having won 144 national championships (97 men, 47 women), first among NCAA Division II conferences.

"It broadens the university's attractiveness," CSUMB president Peter Smith said of the change. "It is a bit of a stretch for us. 'People have asked, 'Why in the world would you do this?' But if you don't stretch, you don't grow. It's all part of building life on the university, making it a better place."

CSUMB currently is a member of the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA), which lacks the visibility and credibility of the NCAA, and is part of the California Pacific Conference, which is inferior, competitively, to the CCAA.

"This is an opportunity for the university to step up and chart a new direction," Smith said. "Being in the CCAA is a great positive. With disrespect to our (NAIA and Cal-PAC) competitors, this is a step we were interested in taking from the beginning."

CSUMB, which applied in June for membership to the NCAA, is to remain in the Cal-Pac Conference this school year and is eligible for NAIA national competition. Next June the university to apply for "provisional membership" for 2004-2005 and begin competing against CCAA schools in the sports the Otters currently have -- men's and women's soccer, basketball, golf and cross country, women's volleyball -- and add women's water polo next fall, as it becomes a CCAA sport. CSUMB also has a sailing program, but none of the other CCAA schools compete in sailing.

CSUMB athletic director Bill Trumbo said the university plans to hire a women's water polo coach in January, as a part-time position, to begin building a schedule and recruiting athletes. Trumbo said that for the 2005-2006 school year, CSUMB plans to add baseball and softball.

Although the Otters are expected to take their lumps in the early going, they may also jump to the CCAA's upper echelon in some areas -- particularly golf.

Last year the CCAA added three national team titles to its list, with Sonoma State winning the men's soccer title, UC Davis taking softball and women's rowing.

The Otters won't have to worry about UC Davis, since it's move to the Division I level (Big West Conference) is partly responsible for CSUMB being invited to join the CCAA.

The CCAA dates back to 1938, with charter members San Jose State, Fresno State, San Diego State and UC Santa Barbara. Other schools that have come and gone include Long Beach State and Cal Poly.

In 1998 the conference made a significant expansion move to 12 members, adding five schools from Northern California -- Davis, Cal State Stanislaus in Turlock, Chico State, San Francisco State and Sonoma State, in Santa Rosa.

Two years later, UC San Diego came on board.

There are 12 CCAA schools currently competing in 13 conference sports (7 women, 6 men). CSUMB is to be one of 10 CSU campuses in the conference.

The CCAA moved its headquarters in 1998 from Southern California to Walnut Creek, currently sharing the same building as the Pacific 10 Conference.

The conference is governed by the presidents and chancellors of the member schools.

"Monterey is a great location for us and for our teams," Hiegert said of what would become the virtual middle ground of the conference landscape. "They (the Otters) are going to be a very solid CCAA member -- probably a handful."

CSUMB won the All Sports Championship of the Cal-Pac Conference for the 2002-2003 school year. It was the first time the Otters earned the honor that goes to the school with the points, based on team finishes.

"It is a credit to our coaches," Trumbo said.

He also said that while the move to the NCAA will require Otter coaches learn a new set of recruiting and compliance rules, no changes in his staff are planned.

"I like our staff," said Trumbo, who this year is to take over as men's basketball coach. "All our coaches are able to do what it takes."