California Athletics Hall of Fame
In his 44th season as the radio voice of Cal football in 2018, Joe Starkey, recipient of the Hall of Fame Service Award, is the only announcer most Cal fans have ever heard. He began his association with the Bears in 1975 and has been behind the mic ever since. Perhaps best known for his call of “The Play” in 1982 – Cal’s five-lateral kickoff return through the Stanford Band as time expired – Joe received the Chris Schenkel Award in 2010 from the National Football Foundation for his distinguished career as a broadcaster. In 2016, the home radio booth at California Memorial Stadium was dedicated as the “Joe Starkey Broadcast Booth.” He also served as the voice of the San Francisco 49ers from 1987-2008 and was longtime sports director at KGO Radio. Named best play-by-play announcer in the state of California nine times, Joe was inducted into the Bay Area Radio Hall of Fame in 2009.
