If you’ve got a spare bedroom, a rental property, or you’re just trying to book a place to watch the game, you’ve probably noticed something: Oxford has never looked like this a month out from a football game. The LSU matchup on September 19 has turned into the most in-demand weekend Oxford has seen, and it’s changing what short-term rentals here are worth — for one weekend, anyway.

Why This Game Weekend Is Different

• Kickoff is Saturday, Sept. 19 at 6:30 p.m. on ABC — Ole Miss’s SEC opener at home
• It’s Lane Kiffin’s first game back in Oxford since leaving for LSU, in a rivalry (the Magnolia Bowl) that dates to 1894
• Ole Miss opened the season No. 9 in the preseason AP poll, LSU No. 11 — this could shape up as a top-10 showdown
• Country star Ella Langley plays the Pavilion two nights before the game, adding another wave of visitors that weekend
• The cheapest ticket on the resale market is already north of $600, and the game is sold out
• Ole Miss home games generated a $325 million economic impact across the whole 2024 season — this single weekend is on track to be one of the biggest contributors of any game in recent memory

What Rentals Are Actually Going For

• A rental for four people for the nights of Sept. 18–20 is currently running $1,500 to over $4,000 per unit on Airbnb
• For comparison, the Georgia game on Nov. 7 — normally one of the bigger weekends of the year — tops out closer to $3,400 for the same size rental
• Hotels are showing as sold out on third-party sites like Expedia, but Visit Oxford says that’s not the full picture — some hotels hold back inventory from those platforms, so it’s worth calling properties directly
• Overflow visitors are expected to book in Batesville, Tupelo, Grenada, and even Memphis and drive or ride in for the day

If You’re Thinking About Hosting

• This is likely the single highest-earning weekend of the year for a short-term rental here — two nights at LSU-game rates can outperform a normal month of long-term rent.
• Confirm your HOA or subdivision actually allows short-term rentals before you list — this is set by the building’s covenants, not the city, and not every condo or neighborhood permits it.
• Book your cleaning and turnover help now. This is the hardest weekend of the year to staff — every host in town needs the same crew on the same two days.
• Price it like the event it is. The spread between $1,500 and $4,000+ for similar-sized units shows how much location, photos, and listing quality still matter, even in a guaranteed sellout.

If You’re Trying to Book a Place

• Book now, not later. A month out, reasonably priced inventory is already thin, and prices tend to climb as the date gets closer.
• Call hotels directly instead of relying only on Expedia or Booking.com — they don’t always show a hotel’s full room inventory.
• Consider staying outside Oxford in Batesville, Tupelo, or Grenada if you want a normal rate, and plan the drive in for game day.
• Expect Square-adjacent listings for four people to run $1,500–$4,000+ for the weekend — budget accordingly if you’re set on staying walkable to the Grove.

The Bottom Line

Whether you’re hosting or visiting, treat September 19 like the biggest weekend Oxford will see this year — because by every measure right now, it is. If you own property here and you’re weighing whether short-term rental income makes sense beyond just this one weekend, I broke down the real numbers — income, taxes, occupancy — in this post on condos as an investment.

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This post is for general information only and isn’t financial, legal, or tax advice. Confirm permit requirements, HOA rules, and current pricing directly before making a hosting or booking decision.

Sources: SuperTalk Mississippi News; Visit Oxford; Ticketmaster; Airbnb listing data as reported by SuperTalk Mississippi News; Mississippi Department of Revenue short-term rental tax guidance.