(NEXSTAR) — A new school year means many U.S. cities will soon see more people coming in to catch college football games. Ahead of the fall season, Airbnb released its list of the college towns outpacing others for bookings for upcoming stays.
Airbnb’s full list of college town getaways include:
- Ocean City, New Jersey
- Bella Vista, Arkansas
- Oxford, Mississippi
- Santa Ana and La Mesa, California
- Baton Rouge, Louisiana
- Ann Arbor, Michigan
- Lubbock, Texas
- Lexington, Kentucky
- Wheat Ridge, Colorado
Many of these cities are home to (or in the vicinity of) some of college football’s biggest teams.
Lubbock, in west Texas, outpaced other Texas cities in Q1 2022 Airbnb bookings, the company says. The city is home to the Texas Tech Red Raiders, who begin their season Sept. 3.
Fans of the Ole Miss Rebels (University of Mississippi’s football team), flock to Oxford, which is about 75 miles south from Memphis. In addition to Rebels games, the city’s also home to many historical sites — including the Lyric Theater music venue, which was previously owned by the family of native author William Faulkner.
Ann Arbor, meanwhile, is home to the University of Michigan Wolverines, whose home games are held at Michigan Stadium. Also known as “The Big House,” it’s the largest stadium in the U.S. and the second largest stadium in the world, according to the Olympics.
Football season is a boon for many short-term rental owners, with University of California San Diego researchers noting that home games alone amounted for over 60% of total rental income between the August and December football seasons in both 2014 and 2015.
