School spirit may just be words to some to evoke support for their school, but for Trevon Williamson, it’s a deeply devoted lifestyle. This junior puts it out for all to see and is a true leader amongst his peers at Central Michigan University.
It’s rather easy to spot Williamson on campus. Just look for the maroon suit, shimmering gold shirt, CMU-patterned tie and a welcoming demeanor. Even if he’s not in the full suit, oftentimes he is still donning a Central Michigan-themed ensemble.
“I always like dressing for the occasion, especially in formal wear,” Williamson said. “I always like to look flashy and be different from people. I think it’s my signature outfit now, because people see the suit and they’re like, ‘oh, there‘s the Snake Pit guy.'”
His goals are to stand out and be the figure that others can look up to. He relishes opportunities to be a figurehead among cheering fans, directing it like an orchestra.
“It’s a great feeling,” he said. “It’s so cool just to be front and center, leading a big crowd of that size, because it’s very hard to do I can just feel everyone’s energy coming at me. It’s like one of the best feelings you can get, especially as a student leader.
“I never got the opportunity to be much of a leader when I was in high school. In college, especially at Central, that’s all it’s about: opportunity. I feel like I’ve gotten a lot of opportunities being here on campus that I wouldn’t have gotten at any other school.“
Williamson gets to share his passion for CMU sports as the president of the Snake Pit, which is a registered student organization on campus.
The Snake Pit is a group of students who serve as leaders of the student sections at athletic events.
“Our main mission is just to keep the student crowd engaged with the game the whole way through, win or lose,” he said. “Keep them coming to the games and keep them engaged, because when the student crowd is at its peak, the team will perform better. That’s been proven many times in my time here at Central.”
An example of the organization’s effectiveness was the toilet paper toss game against Bowling Green in January. It was a hallmark moment for the men’s basketball team in their season.
“We were down by, I think, maybe 20 points or something like that,” he said. “We had a comeback victory and beat them by four in the second half. I talked to coach [Andy] Bronkema after the game, and he credited the win to me for getting the student crowd fired up. I think that’s the biggest accomplishment I’ve had since I’ve been on campus.”
Another instance of his skills as a leader was shown at the Central Michigan football home opener versus Colgate. Williamson was shirtless at the front of the student section just behind the visitors’ bench.
“From the moment the ball kicked off in the first half, I was on top of it, keeping everyone fired up,” he said. “Making it fun in the student section too, talking with random people around me. Keeping them off their phones, keeping them, you know, just watching the game.
“When we were down 10-nothing, I was like, ‘oh boy,’ because usually people do leave; they always leave. “But I was surprised that there were still a lot of students there after the Chippewa marching band left the field, and the team was back out for warm-ups.”
Just like in the toilet paper toss game, fans were praised after the football team fed off the energy in Kelly/Shorts Stadium during their second-half comeback victory. This time it was head coach Matt Drinkall with the shout-out in his postgame press conference.
Williamson’s been the president of the Snake Pit since the beginning of 2026. It started small, with just a pair of people when he took over, and now it’s up to nine members.
“We had to recruit a lot of people,” he said. “So, I did appoint a vice president, a treasurer, a recruitment chair, all that stuff. But now, going forward, I think we’re going to start having elections. Now, for my sake, I’m going to be here until I graduate or just don’t want to do it anymore.”
There is a goal in mind for what he wants the Snake Pit to evolve into, or rather, to reach its former levels.
“I watched old film from, like, pre-COVID, and the student sections were always full at every game,” he said. “I want to bring that back. I want to be known as the guy who brought that back.”
Williamson has showcased undying support for CMU athletics from the beginning of his time as a student, like an ever-lit flame.
“From the day I stepped foot on campus, there have been people who have said, ‘I’ve never seen a freshman as fired up as you,’” he said. “I support the teams fully. I think what they do is hard, and it needs to be appreciated.”
He promotes various school sporting events through social media to encourage students to bolster attendance and get people fired up for their school.
“I even did a first-day-of-school video as well, just getting people excited,” he said. “Eventually, I want to do collaborations with Coach Drinkall, President MacKinnon and even someone like the cheer and dance team.”
Campus life away from the executive office
Outside of his duties as the president of the Snake Pit, he’s majoring in sports broadcasting at CMU. He was inspired during his senior year of high school, working on the camera crew for the broadcast program and watching and listening to the radio broadcasters.
“I want to do something like that on the radio,” he said. “So, I’ve always liked being on TV and, you know, being in front of the mic. That’s what kind of got me to do this degree. My dream career would be a minor-league play-by-play announcer on the radio, or in Major League Baseball as well. I’m open to basketball, though, too, and football as well.”
He works closely with men’s and women’s basketball, baseball and softball, occasionally traveling with them to away games doing radio broadcasts of those games.
“I wanted to be a weatherman when I was young because I liked being on TV,” he said. “Then it was a politician, and then it went to being a music educator, as in a high school band director or a college band director. And then it changed to sports broadcasting my senior year in high school.”
Williamson went to Belding High School in Belding, Michigan. He excelled as an athlete and a drummer in his school’s marching band.
“I was a really good bowler in high school,” he said. “I was a varsity athlete all four years. My senior year was personally my best season. I was the star player on the team, and I was pretty much a well-recognized name in our conference as well.”
Williamson could’ve attended Michigan State University for bowling but chose to focus on his degree at CMU.
As for his music career, he was talented enough to join the highly touted Drum Corps, which basically serves as the Major League for marching band drummers.
“You go around on tour across the country at different venues in Texas, California, Ohio, Illinois, everywhere, and then you have the big world championships in Indianapolis,” he said. “I got to perform there not this last summer, but the summer before that. And it was such a surreal experience.”
Williamson works with Allegan High School as a drumline instructor. Allegan is a two-hour drive from Mount Pleasant.
“My job is to teach those kids how to play the drums correctly with good technique, how to play their show, which we prep for about a seven-minute show,” he said.
“We usually go to States at Ford Field every year. That is usually our last show, but it is not our last show this year. Our last show is going to be Bands of America Grand Nationals. So, we are going to Grand Nationals at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis, Indiana.”
On top of everything else he does, he’s also the rush chair for his fraternity, Alpha Sigma Phi, recruiting potential new members.
“Our main thing is to better the man,” he said. “To better yourself from when you start college to when you finish it. That’s our biggest motto. That’s what drew me to join.”
He joined in search of meaningful friendships that will last a lifetime, sharing milestone moments such as weddings.
“I wanted to find that community and sense of brotherhood,” he said.
One might find it hard to believe that Williamson gets any free time at all.
“I’m always proud of the product that I put out just because I work so hard on it,” he said. “I’m not going to lie. But it’s rewarding at the very end, and then I can relax and have fun.”
From the countless clubs and organizations he participates in to the boldness of his attire, he is the embodiment of what it means to be a faithful fan here at Central Michigan. Williamson truly shows initiative in bringing people together in a variety of ways.
“I’m just a chill guy at the end of the day who’s just trying to have fun in college and get his degree and, you know, be successful with this career,” he said. “It defines my character as someone who has a good work ethic, someone who is always willing to talk to you and someone who knows how to have fun.”
