 Prior to 1934 , CU athletic teams were referred to as the Silver and Gold , Silver Helmets , Yellow Jackets , Hornets , Arapahoes , Big Horns , Grizzlies , and Frontiersmen . The student newspaper decided to sponsor a national contest in the summer of 1934 , with a $ 5 prize to go to the author of the winning selection . Over 1 @,@ 000 entries arrived from almost every state in the Nation . Athletic Director Harry Carlson , Graduate Manager Walter Franklin , and Kenneth Bundy of the Silver and Gold were the judges . 
