Joe Starkey began broadcasting sports on radio and television with the California Golden Seals of the National Hockey League. Since 1975 he has been calling games on radio for the California Golden Bears of the Pacific 12 Conference. His call of the finish of the 1982 Big Game between UC Berkeley and Stanford is rated among the best of all time. From 1987 through 2008, he also called games on radio for the San Francisco 49ers, including three Super Bowls. He is a member of three halls of fame: the National Football Foundation for his distinguished career as a sports announcer for college football, the University of California Sports Hall of Fame, and the Bay Area Radio Hall of Fame.