GVSU alumnus; William James College, B.A., '79

John Keating has spent more than four decades as one of the most trusted and beloved voices in sports broadcasting. His career began at GVSU’s student-run radio station, WSRX, where he quickly moved from broadcaster to station manager, laying the foundation for a lifetime in media. 

After graduation, Keating—known then on-air as “Steve Knight”—worked in Grand Rapids radio and television before moving to Denver, where he covered major sporting events during a decade-long run at KMGH-TV. In the mid-1990s, he returned home to Michigan, becoming a fixture on Detroit’s sports scene with PASS Sports, Fox Sports Detroit, and later Bally Sports Detroit. Over the course of his career, he had the opportunity to cover Super Bowls, the Olympics, the Stanley Cup Finals, the World Series, and “a thousand great stories along the way.” 

For nearly 30 years in Detroit, Keating anchored coverage of the Tigers and Red Wings, guiding fans through unforgettable moments that included Red Wings Stanley Cup championships and Tigers World Series appearances. His warm presence, humor, and deep respect for the athletes and teams he covered earned him 21 regional Emmy Awards and the admiration of colleagues and fans alike. 

Looking back, Keating often noted that his broadcasting journey “started on the campus of GVSU and took me to Grand Rapids and then Denver and then home to Detroit,” where 29 of his 45 years in broadcasting were spent sharing coverage of Michigan’s teams with viewers across the state. Through it all, he has credited his beginnings at Grand Valley as the spark that launched his career—an experience that gave him both the confidence and the community to dream big.