Travis Hunter, CU Buffs football team, celebrated at the basketball game

In recent years, it hasn’t been often that the Colorado football team plays late into December. It’s even rarer when the Heisman Trophy takes place in Boulder.

On Saturday, fans had the opportunity to celebrate Heisman Trophy winner Travis Hunter and the Buffaloes football team before and during the men’s basketball game against Bellarmine at the CU Events Center.

Hunter and star quarterback Shedeur Sanders were special guests of the basketball team before the game and took part in warm-ups, including Hunter putting on a dunking show. At halftime, the football team’s season was celebrated.

“It’s great for the university to have a Heisman Trophy winner and celebrate it with the community and the kids and even the adults who are really excited about this award, as they should be,” said Tad Boyle, chief -CU basketball coach. “We are proud of Travis. We are proud of the football team.”

The 20th-ranked football team will face No. 17 BYU in the Valero Alamo Bowl in San Antonio on Dec. 28 (5:30 p.m. MT, ABC). It’s the first bowl game for CU since 2020 and the first time since 2016 that fans have been able to celebrate in this way. (In 2020, fans were not allowed at basketball games due to COVID-19).

BOULDER, CO, Dec. 21: Travis Hunter has a dunking clinic before the CU men’s basketball game. Colorado football players Travis Hunter, Shedeur Sanders and Hunter’s Heisman Trophy winners were special guests at the CU men’s basketball game on December 21, 2024. (Cliff Grassmick/Photographer)

“We really wanted the fans to be able to celebrate the Heisman with Travis and the rest of the team and warm up and keep going,” CU athletic director Rick George said. “It’s great to see all the fans come out. It’s a celebration. I mean, we’re all Buffs and it’s great that we can all come together and support these guys.

“We wanted to thank all the players that came out today and did the stuff with Travis and Shedeur in warmups, thanked our fan base for all the support they gave us and this was a great way for us to do that .”

Bowl experience

Earlier this week, head coach Deion Sanders said he was glad his players had a chance to experience a bowl game. During his playing career at Florida State (1985-88), Sanders appeared in four bowl games in four years, winning each time.

“The things I remember most about a bowl is the stuff like we were going to walk into the room and on our bed, they had a bag full of stuff and we were going through the stuff,” Coach Prime said, mentioning This specifically Walkmans and tracksuits are among the unforgettable gifts. “I love that part and it wasn’t as intense as a game, but you had to win. You wanted to win.”

He also talked to his teammates about some funny moments during bowl week.

“I have never forgotten those moments,” he said. “But the many bowl games we went to every year were just a moment we never forget. And I want to have those moments for our young men too.”

Remarkable

Sophomore cornerback DJ McKinney is one of the CU players who has played in a bowl game. He went to the Texas Bowl with Oklahoma State. He said there is a balance between fun and focus. “It’s a bit like a vacation, but at the end of the day it’s still a business trip,” he said. “You guys are still out here with your guys playing another game that we have to be thankful for. So it’s really just another business trip.” …Several members of the football team were present at the halftime celebration during Saturday’s game. Also on the field was five-star quarterback JuJu Lewis, the top recruit in CU’s 2025 class.

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Originally published: December 21, 2024 at 5:44 pm MST

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Travis Hunter, CU Buffs football team, celebrated at the basketball game

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