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DENVER -- Travis Hunter made a pair of proclamations Thursday: He’s for sure entering the NFL draft after this season, but not until he sees Colorado all the way through the College Football Playoff — if the Buffaloes make it there. The first was already a given for the draft-eligible junior who plays both receiver and cornerback. The second is a risk-reward play for a projected high first-round pick who averages around 120 snaps a game. In years past, it took two extra postseason wins to capture a national title. Now, it could take up to four additional contests. That’s more of a chance to shine, but also more chance for an injury. “I don’t think nobody will opt out because you’re showing NFL teams that you’re more focused on something else, other than the team goal,” Hunter said of the expanded 12-team College Football Playoff. “So I don’t think players are going to opt out of the playoffs.” Hunter and quarterback Shedeur Sanders chatted Thursday in a set of Zoom calls about turning around the program at Colorado (from 4-8 last season to bowl eligibility), chasing a Big 12 title, turning pro — Hunter acknowledged he will “for sure” — and, of course, the Heisman race, where Hunter is currently the odds-on favorite in an award each wants to see the other win. “He’s deserving of it, and if it’s between me and him, I want him to get it,” said Sanders, whose 16th-ranked Buffaloes (8-2, 6-1 Big 12, No. 16 CFP ) travel to Arrowhead Stadium to face Kansas (4-6, 3-4) this weekend. “He does a lot of amazing things that have never been done before.” Countered Hunter: “I know he wants me to win it, but I also want him to win as bad as I want to win it.” Hunter is a generational talent shining on both sides of the ball. As a receiver, he has 74 catches for 911 yards and nine touchdowns. On defense, he has picked off three passes, even though teams are reluctant to throw his direction. Like he did in high school and now in college, he believes he can do both on the next level. But he understands the trepidation of the NFL team that picks him. “They don’t want their top pick to go down too early," Hunter said. “I like when people tell me I can’t do it, because they just motivate me to continue to do what I want to do.” Sanders is turning in a stellar season as well with 27 touchdown passes, one away from tying Sefo Liufau for the most in a single season in program history. He's projected to be one of the first QBs off the draft board. The future certainly looks bright at Colorado thanks to the legacies Sanders and Hunter under coach Deion Sanders. But that's a point to ponder later. “I can’t think too much forward past Saturday,” Shedeur Sanders cracked. “The main thing is winning the Big 12 championship. That’s the main thing we’re focused on." ___ Get poll alerts and updates on the AP Top 25 throughout the season. Sign up here . AP college football: https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-football-poll and https://apnews.com/hub/college-footballCanadian airline executives in the hot seat over carry-on bag fees say the federal government needs to reform this country's aviation system if it wants travel to become more affordable. The CEOs of Air Canada and WestJet are appearing before a parliamentary committee Friday to answer questions about their recent decisions to introduce carry-on bag fees for travellers. Air Transat and Porter Airlines also testified Friday before the standing committee on transport, infrastructure and communities. The executives faced tough questions from parliamentarians, who summoned them to testify following Air Canada's announcement earlier this month that customers paying a basic fare can only bring on a personal item and will have to check carry-on bags for a fee. Air Canada's move follows an earlier decision by WestJet to introduce an "UltraBasic" fare class that allows passengers to carry no more than a laptop bag or small backpack on board. The developments are part of an ongoing trend in the aviation sector, which has seen airlines rely increasingly on ancillary fees for formerly bundled services that range from checked bags to on-board snacks and Wi-Fi access. Committee members on Friday challenged the airline CEOs about the layers of add-on fees, arguing they are making air travel increasingly unaffordable for Canadians. "Do you truly believe this is acceptable at a time when Canadians' pocketbooks are hurting?" said Liberal MP Angelo Iacono. Another Liberal MP, Vance Badawey, challenged WestJet — a private company that does not publicly release its financial information — to open up its books and disclose its profit margins. "Because at the end of the day, that's why we're here right now," Badawey said. "We're here for affordability for the passengers." But the airline executives said by offering passengers a choice of fare categories with different service levels, they are actually making travel cheaper for Canadians. WestJet CEO Alexis von Hoensbroech said 1.2 million Canadians have chosen the airline's UltraBasic fare since it was introduced in June, resulting in lowered travel costs as that fare is on average 14 per cent lower than WestJet's next-cheapest option. "This is savings that are important in a time where there's an affordability crisis," von Hoensbroech said in an interview Friday morning. "So I think we actually do something that's good ... And I do understand the perception that is out there, but I think it's also important to share the facts." Von Hoensbroech said it's easy for politicians to be "bashing airlines" because the affordability crisis is real. But he said if the federal government really wants to lower the costs of air travel, significant reforms to the system are needed. He said air travel in Canada is among the most expensive globally, due in part to government policies and third-party fees. Navigation fees, security charges, airport improvement fees and other taxes and fees can add up to $100 to the price of a ticket, von Hoensbroech said. He said the government needs to freeze hikes in third-party fees and charges to allow Canada's aviation sector to compete globally. He also said the federal government should cease charging rent to airports for the land they sit on, allowing airports to reinvest these funds into infrastructure and services instead. This report by The Canadian Press was first published Dec. 13, 2024. Companies in this story: (TSX:AC) Amanda Stephenson, The Canadian Press

AP News Summary at 4:14 p.m. ESTAssam Congress President Bhupen Borah remained optimistic despite the party's defeat in all five assembly by-elections held in the state. The vote counting was completed today (November 23), with BJP and its coalition candidates winning by large margins. Speaking to media, Borah said, "We may have lost today, but we are motivated to work harder. Our efforts will pay off, and in the upcoming elections, we will definitely emerge victorious". He further added, "The way the people of Assam made us victorious before, we have also faced defeat. We accept both victory and defeat with humility, but today, the media has not highlighted an important issue." Borah took a sharp dig at Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, accusing him of focusing on national politics over the welfare of Assam. "For the past four months, Sarma has been acting as a part-time Chief Minister. He was sent to Jharkhand, Telangana, and Karnataka, but was unsuccessful in all his ventures. If the BJP had sent him to Maharashtra, they would have lost there as well," he said, criticising Sarma's political engagements outside the state. Borah, while acknowledging their defeat, also emphasised the progress Congress had made. "We congratulate Priyanka Gandhi on her victory in Wayanad. We received strong support in Sidli and Behali, and we are confident about contesting the BTR elections in 2025. The people of Assam and BTR believe in Congress, and they will help us win," he said. He also mentioned, while Congress lost in some constituencies, the party gained significant ground in others, adding, "In Dholai, we improved by over 30,000 votes compared to June 2024. We exposed the BJP's corruption and failure to deliver on their promises." Talking about the pre-poll violence in Samaguri, Borah expressed regret over it and alleged illegal voting. "We have filed complaints with the DC office, the Police, and the Election Commission in Delhi," he said, referring to reports of people from Samaguri casting votes in other states under questionable circumstances.

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