California State University Northridge Athletics
Photo by: Chuck Marvel
Michael Blevins: Soccer Player, Advocate and Leader
10/15/2026 1:06:00 PM | General, Men's Soccer
By Zack Rome - Assistant Director, Strategic Communications
Michael Blevins is in his senior season as a midfielder with the Matadors. Soccer means everything to him, and it's been a game he's been playing since he was five years old. For Blevins though, soccer is just one thing he is a part of while he also spends his time trying to make a difference. Blevins has made it his priority to make an impact not only on the field, but off it as well.
Away from the field, Blevins serves as president of the Black Student Athlete Alliance (BSAA), event manager for the Student-Athlete Advisory Council (SAAC) and a member of the Big West's Undivided committee.
As for The BSAA, it is a student-led organization that supports Black student-athletes both academically and athletically while building community among Black students across campus. It was created to address the isolation and lack of connection some Black student-athletes experienced at a predominantly white institution.
Â
"I've always been big on advocating for people who look like me and people who've experienced things like me, because I think that's important in this world." Blevins said. "I've always kind of been in spaces like that. I enjoy spaces like that, where people build community and advocate for each other."
Â
Before he served as president, Blevins helped found his high school's Black Student Union and served as its president. So naturally, when he stepped foot on CSUN's campus, the BSAA was a perfect fit.Â
Â
At first, he joined as just a member in his freshman year. Then, he became increasingly involved with the BSAA during his sophomore and junior years, eventually serving on its event planning committee. Then, near the end of his junior year, former BSAA president and track & field student-athlete Summer Mosley approached him about taking over the organization.
Blevins was surprised.
He felt there were others who may have done more within the organization, but Mosley saw something in him. It was the same drive to build community and support Black student-athletes that had followed him since high school.
"I was honored that Summer actually saw something in me and recognized the real drive I have for building community and helping Black student-athletes," Blevins said
After being named President, Blevins saw an opportunity. He wanted to make the BSAA meetings feel like a safe space.
Â
"I don't want to make it a space where people just come to complain," he said. "I want people to come and see that there's a safe space where they can talk about anything they want, complain, rant and do that. But I want to take what they don't like and actually take action."Â
Â
He also values collaboration and surrounding himself with people who are equally invested in moving the organization forward.
Â
Dr. Cedrick Hackett, CSUN's Faculty Athletic Representative, was one of the students who helped establish the organization that eventually became the BSAA in 1992.
Â
At the time of its founding, Hackett and his colleagues came together, recognized that other student-athletes were experiencing similar issues and formed an organization designed to advocate for them.
Hackett, who is now an advisor for the group, thinks that Michael is the perfect guy to take his organization to the next generation.
"I met Michael when he came in during the summer student-athlete orientation program. I immediately understood that he was very talented." Hackett said. "He was able to process things very quickly, he asked great questions, and when we put him into groups, he facilitated and moderated different things. I immediately knew that he was a leader."
For Hackett, watching Blevins lead the organization he helped establish is more than simply seeing the next president take over. It is a sense of deep pride that affects him profoundly.
"It's a full circle moment," Hackett said. He believes Blevins can take the organization further than the founders ever imagined.
Hackett watched Blevins facilitate group activities, ask questions and process ideas during orientation. Later, he hired Blevins to help with cultural enrichment programming at Northridge Academy.
"His leadership has gone to scale. I'm excited to be a part of his journey and his process, and we're looking forward to all the good things that he and his group are going to do for student-athletes as a whole, but also African-American student-athletes." Hackett said.
It's not just the BSAA though, Blevins takes his leadership in another outlet as he is the Event Manager for CSUN's Student-Athlete Advisory Council (SAAC).
"When I was approached with the ability to be on SAAC, I liked what they were doing and I liked what they were building." Blevins said. "Being an event planner really helps me look out for people who are like me, who don't like just being inside all day and don't like that kind of routine.
"At SAAC, I can plan events for student-athletes like movie nights, trunk-or-treat, scavenger hunts and game nights, and just little things like that get people out, give them free food and mix up the week," he continued. "Most importantly, If they're dealing with stress, it takes them out of that environment and lets them do something new and chill."
Hackett believes that Blevins has new tools available to him that didn't exist in his time.Â
"Students have power. Power and voice, power in numbers, to talk to policymakers and stakeholders, to talk about their experiences and how they can enhance the experience for student-athletes." Hackett said.
The desire to build something special and go the extra mile is natural for Blevins. The things he does on the soccer field, the organizations he is a part of, and the person he is because of those experiences is preparing him for a life after his time at CSUN.
"I know what spaces I want to be in and what I want to do," Blevins said.
After his time in college, Blevins wants to use his impact for a greater good. "I definitely aspire to be a professional soccer player, and with that platform, I can unlock a lot of things for helping youth programs. I just want to give back to my community." Blevins said.Â
With his platform, Michael wants to go to local schools where he is from in the South Bay, and use his influence to be the voice he wanted to hear while growing up in his area.
Blevins wants to share his experience of being a black athlete. He wants to break stereotypes and make an example for future Black soccer players.Â
"People don't realize how many biases Black student-athletes face, how you're talked to and how you're perceived as an athlete just because of the color of your skin, how you look or where you're from," Blevins said.Â
Michael recalled growing up that it was hard to break out of a box that people had put him in, and how there are still certain places in this country that look at him a certain type of way. He notes that not too long ago, sports was divided by the color of your skin. That impact runs deep, as Blevins' great-great grandfather played in baseball's Negro Leagues for the Memphis Red Sox.
Knowing the history, he doesn't take his time on the field for granted. Blevins is now in his final four regular season games in his time at CSUN. He is wrapping up on a career where he has played 54 games. He believes that his time in soccer is a metaphor for the things he does off the field. Just like his time in BSAA and SAAC, he feels that "Playing soccer in a team setting is building towards something greater."
At the end of the day, Blevins lives by the mantra of "Don't let people put you in a box. Don't let people put a label on you and define you in a way that's not you."
Â
#GoMatadors
Michael Blevins is in his senior season as a midfielder with the Matadors. Soccer means everything to him, and it's been a game he's been playing since he was five years old. For Blevins though, soccer is just one thing he is a part of while he also spends his time trying to make a difference. Blevins has made it his priority to make an impact not only on the field, but off it as well.
Away from the field, Blevins serves as president of the Black Student Athlete Alliance (BSAA), event manager for the Student-Athlete Advisory Council (SAAC) and a member of the Big West's Undivided committee.
As for The BSAA, it is a student-led organization that supports Black student-athletes both academically and athletically while building community among Black students across campus. It was created to address the isolation and lack of connection some Black student-athletes experienced at a predominantly white institution.
Â
"I've always been big on advocating for people who look like me and people who've experienced things like me, because I think that's important in this world." Blevins said. "I've always kind of been in spaces like that. I enjoy spaces like that, where people build community and advocate for each other."
Â
Before he served as president, Blevins helped found his high school's Black Student Union and served as its president. So naturally, when he stepped foot on CSUN's campus, the BSAA was a perfect fit.Â
Â
At first, he joined as just a member in his freshman year. Then, he became increasingly involved with the BSAA during his sophomore and junior years, eventually serving on its event planning committee. Then, near the end of his junior year, former BSAA president and track & field student-athlete Summer Mosley approached him about taking over the organization.
Blevins was surprised.
He felt there were others who may have done more within the organization, but Mosley saw something in him. It was the same drive to build community and support Black student-athletes that had followed him since high school.
"I was honored that Summer actually saw something in me and recognized the real drive I have for building community and helping Black student-athletes," Blevins said
After being named President, Blevins saw an opportunity. He wanted to make the BSAA meetings feel like a safe space.
Â
"I don't want to make it a space where people just come to complain," he said. "I want people to come and see that there's a safe space where they can talk about anything they want, complain, rant and do that. But I want to take what they don't like and actually take action."Â
Â
He also values collaboration and surrounding himself with people who are equally invested in moving the organization forward.
Â
Dr. Cedrick Hackett, CSUN's Faculty Athletic Representative, was one of the students who helped establish the organization that eventually became the BSAA in 1992.
Â
At the time of its founding, Hackett and his colleagues came together, recognized that other student-athletes were experiencing similar issues and formed an organization designed to advocate for them.
Hackett, who is now an advisor for the group, thinks that Michael is the perfect guy to take his organization to the next generation.
"I met Michael when he came in during the summer student-athlete orientation program. I immediately understood that he was very talented." Hackett said. "He was able to process things very quickly, he asked great questions, and when we put him into groups, he facilitated and moderated different things. I immediately knew that he was a leader."
For Hackett, watching Blevins lead the organization he helped establish is more than simply seeing the next president take over. It is a sense of deep pride that affects him profoundly.
"It's a full circle moment," Hackett said. He believes Blevins can take the organization further than the founders ever imagined.
Hackett watched Blevins facilitate group activities, ask questions and process ideas during orientation. Later, he hired Blevins to help with cultural enrichment programming at Northridge Academy.
"His leadership has gone to scale. I'm excited to be a part of his journey and his process, and we're looking forward to all the good things that he and his group are going to do for student-athletes as a whole, but also African-American student-athletes." Hackett said.
It's not just the BSAA though, Blevins takes his leadership in another outlet as he is the Event Manager for CSUN's Student-Athlete Advisory Council (SAAC).
"When I was approached with the ability to be on SAAC, I liked what they were doing and I liked what they were building." Blevins said. "Being an event planner really helps me look out for people who are like me, who don't like just being inside all day and don't like that kind of routine.
"At SAAC, I can plan events for student-athletes like movie nights, trunk-or-treat, scavenger hunts and game nights, and just little things like that get people out, give them free food and mix up the week," he continued. "Most importantly, If they're dealing with stress, it takes them out of that environment and lets them do something new and chill."
Hackett believes that Blevins has new tools available to him that didn't exist in his time.Â
"Students have power. Power and voice, power in numbers, to talk to policymakers and stakeholders, to talk about their experiences and how they can enhance the experience for student-athletes." Hackett said.
The desire to build something special and go the extra mile is natural for Blevins. The things he does on the soccer field, the organizations he is a part of, and the person he is because of those experiences is preparing him for a life after his time at CSUN.
"I know what spaces I want to be in and what I want to do," Blevins said.
After his time in college, Blevins wants to use his impact for a greater good. "I definitely aspire to be a professional soccer player, and with that platform, I can unlock a lot of things for helping youth programs. I just want to give back to my community." Blevins said.Â
With his platform, Michael wants to go to local schools where he is from in the South Bay, and use his influence to be the voice he wanted to hear while growing up in his area.
Blevins wants to share his experience of being a black athlete. He wants to break stereotypes and make an example for future Black soccer players.Â
"People don't realize how many biases Black student-athletes face, how you're talked to and how you're perceived as an athlete just because of the color of your skin, how you look or where you're from," Blevins said.Â
Michael recalled growing up that it was hard to break out of a box that people had put him in, and how there are still certain places in this country that look at him a certain type of way. He notes that not too long ago, sports was divided by the color of your skin. That impact runs deep, as Blevins' great-great grandfather played in baseball's Negro Leagues for the Memphis Red Sox.
Knowing the history, he doesn't take his time on the field for granted. Blevins is now in his final four regular season games in his time at CSUN. He is wrapping up on a career where he has played 54 games. He believes that his time in soccer is a metaphor for the things he does off the field. Just like his time in BSAA and SAAC, he feels that "Playing soccer in a team setting is building towards something greater."
At the end of the day, Blevins lives by the mantra of "Don't let people put you in a box. Don't let people put a label on you and define you in a way that's not you."
Â
#GoMatadors
Players Mentioned
MF
/ Men's SoccerWednesday, September 16
Thursday, September 03
Wednesday, August 26
Friday, February 13