Denver Boone

As part of an effort to rebrand DU's athletic image, the administration at that time saw an opportunity to replace Denver Boone.

Public reaction was lukewarm; several costumed versions of the Red Tailed Hawk (now named "Ruckus") were created, but few made the connection to the Pioneers.

[2] Nonetheless, on October 20, 2008, Chancellor Robert Coombe rejected the proposal in an email to students, saying that Boone "does not reflect the broad diversity of the DU community".

[6] Editorials by Valerie Richardson in The Washington Times[7] and Mike Rosen in the Rocky Mountain News[2] were highly critical of the administration.

By this point, DU had effectively retired Ruckus, and in November 2008, the university announced its intention to choose a new mascot,[8] though the debate over Denver Boone continued.

Several mascot companies were contacted for designs and costings, and a grassroots effort organized via the LetsGoDU blog raised thousands of dollars for the initiative.

The new Boone mascot was designed with an "ethnically ambiguous" skin tone and four fingers on each hand, to indicate that he should be perceived as character and not a living human being.

Boone was officially unveiled by students and alumni at the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, D.C., as part of the 2009 NCAA Frozen Four celebrations.

The character has also appeared at DU athletic events in Boston, Minneapolis, Madison, Baltimore, Annapolis, Philadelphia, Las Vegas, Milwaukee, Chicago, Providence, Buffalo, Tampa, Houston, College Station Newark, Delaware, St. Paul, Minnesota, Phoenix and Washington, D.C., on alumni-funded trips.