George Stoia in his own words on why he left a great NFL beat in Denver to return to Oklahoma and join SoonerScoop

When I graduated from OU in 2020, I had a plan.

I knew what I wanted to do, and it wasn’t going back to Oklahoma. At least not that fast. I wanted to cover the NFL. That was the dream, and I’ve made it a reality by covering the Denver Broncos for the Denver Gazette for the past three years.

However, plans and dreams change.

I quickly realized that while covering the Broncos was a pretty sweet gig, I missed college football. The tradition and the pageantry, the ridiculous recruiting stories and the victory-focused coaches, the promising young athletes and the passionate fan bases that cheer them on. I think when you grow up in a place like Oklahoma, OU football is professional football.

And I missed my home. I was born and raised in Oklahoma. Almost my whole family visited OU. My parents met at O’Connell’s in the 80’s. My dad played for Barry Switzer and has been a season ticket holder since 1990. And he covered the team for most of my college career at OU Daily, writing about three college football playoff appearances and two Heisman Trophy winners. Oklahoma football is something I think I know as well as anyone.

So joining SoonerScoop is both a personal and professional decision for me. And I know some people might think I’m crazy for leaving a big city newspaper that covers one of the NFL’s most popular teams to cover Oklahoma for SoonerScoop.com.

But that was a no-brainer for me.

I’m not sure there has been a more fascinating time in my life to cover Oklahoma. Media access has never been better and the impending move to the SEC in 2024 just means more national exposure. But most importantly, this was the right move because I believe in SoonerScoop’s leadership and future.

Journalism is always evolving and SoonerScoop continues to stay ahead of the curve with a digital-first mentality and a strong social media presence in an industry that is often stubborn to adapt. Carey has built – and continues to build – a media empire. For the last 20+ years they have been the premier website for OU football and I couldn’t be more honored to join an already star-studded team of Carey, Josh, Eddie and Bob – all of whom I have as journalists, radio hosts and admired local influencers from afar. It’s an exciting time to be working for SoonerScoop with big future plans for the website and new office at Campus Corner – stay tuned.

What you can expect from me is my goal to cover the team that nobody else offers in this market. From special reports to new podcasts to breaking news, in-depth game analysis and more. I will be creative in my storytelling and diligent in my reporting. And most importantly, I’ll strive to serve SoonerScoop subscribers in an engaging and meaningful way, hoping to provide informed coverage.

So with that said… SoonerScoop, let’s ride.