Hotel Costs and Ticket Prices Reach Historic Levels Ahead of LSU vs Ole Miss Saturday

(KMDL-FM) Even if you aren't a football fan, the drama that will unfold next Saturday in Oxford, Mississippi, is the stuff that soap operas are made of. It's the annual football battle between the LSU Tigers, coached by Lane Kiffin, and Ole Miss, the team that LSU took Kiffin from during the almost-offseason last year.

According to the recently released Associated Press College Football Poll, the Tigers are ranked number 7 and the Rebels are ranked number 8. Both teams are good college football teams, and both teams have high expectations of reaching the College Football Playoffs and winning a national championship.

Both programs also understand that a victory on September 19th will go a long way in reaching that goal. As you might imagine, fans would be flocking to the game just for the football. Throw in the bad blood, sour grapes, hurt feelings of a jilted lover, and you have the makings of a memorable college football weekend.

If you are planning on attending the game at Vaught-Hemingway Stadium in Oxford, MS, and don't already have your ticket, you should be expecting to pay Alabama/LSU prices for this weekend's game.

How Much Are Tickets for LSU vs Ole Miss on Saturday?

A hand holding a fan of us hundred dollar bills — Photo by Giorgio Trovato on Unsplash

We looked on SeatGeek, and the lowest price we could find for a marginally good ticket was almost $500. A mid-tier ticket will set you back between $650 and $850. And if you just feel the need to sit down close to the action, you should expect to pay more than $1,500 for a place to sit when you're not standing to cheer on your favorite team.

By the way, ticket prices for the LSU game are higher than what ticket prices were for Ole Miss' College Playoff Game last season. College football rivalries and a white-hot hatred for a coach will ignite the resale market; that's for sure.

How Much Are Hotel Rooms in Oxford For the LSU Football Game?

Most people who travel to Ole Miss to watch a game don't stay in Oxford. It's a small community, and it has some hotels. The town has 10 to 12 major branded hotels and local inns, which translates to about 800 to 1,000 hotel rooms.

As far as rent-by-owner places, our quick online search suggested there were about 1,250 of those in the Greater Oxford area. This is why most people stay in Memphis, Tennessee when they travel to an Ole Miss game.

white and red UNKs coffee shop signage — Photo by Wally Holden on Unsplash

As you might imagine with such a demand, hotel rooms are at a premium, and there is plenty of price gouging on the rent-by-owner market. Some of those guest cottages that normally go for $400 a night on a normal weekend are being offered at $1,200 a night for this weekend.

What Other Towns Are Near Oxford That Might Have Reasonably Priced Rooms?

As far as other towns to consider, there really aren't that many. Oxford is in a very quiet part of North Mississippi. As we've mentioned, Memphis is about 85 miles from the Ole Miss campus. That's about the same distance you'd travel if you wanted to stay at one of the casinos along the Mississippi River just south of Memphis.

Tupelo is another decent-sized city that's about an hour's drive from Oxford; you could make it an Elvis weekend if you opted for those accommodations. Or you could start the drive back to Louisiana by staying in Jackson. You'll find a lot more hotel and dining options there. But J-Town is about two and a half hours away from Ole Miss.

The game is in primetime, but ESPN's College GameDay program will be there live in the morning, so the crowds will arrive and stay all day. So, the prospect of a long drive after a day of tailgating and watching college football doesn't sound like much fun. Hell, even the campgrounds around Oxford are doubling and tripling their prices for the weekend as well.

Where Can You Watch LSU versus Ole Miss on Television?

The game will be televised on ABC Network stations, so check your local listings. Kickoff is set for 6:30, but the hype and trash-talking is already underway. May the best team win, and both programs need to remember you still have to face undefeated Mississippi State before the season is over. I don't get to say "undefeated" and "Mississippi State" in the same sentence that often, so thank you for indulging me.

And if you think Ole Miss fans are obnoxious, they are, by the way, but they could learn a few things from these jack-wagons who support college football in Texas.