Oxford is a small town with a big-time football Saturday. There are only a few thousand hotel rooms in Lafayette County, and on SEC weekends they go fast: rates can climb well past normal, two-night minimums are the rule at most hotels, and for the biggest games the rooms near campus are gone months ahead. When Oxford fills up, fans spread out to Batesville, New Albany, Tupelo and the Memphis suburbs.
The Egg Bowl adds one more wrinkle. The game is played on the Friday after Thanksgiving, so plan on checking in Wednesday or Thursday. In recent years tent crews have started setting up in the Grove on Thanksgiving Day.
Below you’ll find the areas fans use, what game day looks like around the Grove, and every upcoming Ole Miss home game with hotel searches already set to the right dates.
Where to stay for football weekends
Six areas fans use, from campus to the overflow towns. Each link opens Hotels.com sorted for that area.
Walk to the Grove
On campus
The Inn at Ole Miss sits on Alumni Drive next to the Grove, a short walk from the stadium. It’s the most convenient room in town on game day and the first to sell out.
About 1 mile
The Square
The heart of Oxford, with restaurants, bars and bookstores around the courthouse. Graduate by Hilton Oxford, The Oliver Hotel and Home2 Suites are all close by, and free gameday shuttles run from the Square parking garage to the Student Union.
About 0.6 mile
Jackson Avenue East
Between the Square and campus. The Courtyard Oxford is the closest chain hotel to Vaught-Hemingway, and you can walk to the Grove or the Square.
About 1–2 miles
Conference Center / Highway 6
A cluster of newer chains on Ed Perry Boulevard and the Highway 6 frontage road, including Hampton Inn, TownePlace Suites, Tru by Hilton and La Quinta. Easy in and out, but plan on a short drive or rideshare to campus.
About 2 miles
West Oxford
Hampton Inn Oxford-West and Holiday Inn Express on Heritage Drive, near Jackson Avenue West. Often a little easier to book than the hotels closer to the Square.
30 minutes to 1 hour 30 minutes
Overflow towns
Batesville (26 miles, off I-55) has the most rooms within a half hour. New Albany and Holly Springs are about 30 miles out, Tupelo about 55, and the Memphis suburbs of Olive Branch and Hernando about 40. Leave early on game day: Highway 6 backs up.
Game day in Oxford
- Parking City shuttle lots and pay lots off campus typically run $20–40 for SEC games, and you can reserve spots ahead in the CLUTCH! parking app. On-campus lots are permit-only.
- Shuttles OUTransit runs free gameday buses from the Square parking garage and the Jackson Avenue Center, from 6:30 a.m. until 9 p.m. (later when the game runs late). There’s no shuttle between the Square and the Grove, so most fans walk the mile.
- The Grove Ten acres of tents in the middle of campus. The public setup opens the evening before the game, personal tents are free, and vendor-set tents run about $150. For a Friday Egg Bowl, the setup moves up to Thanksgiving.
- Walk of Champions The team walks through the Grove to the stadium about two hours before kickoff, about when the gates open. Get there early for a spot along the path.
Going to a basketball game?
The Sandy and John Black Pavilion sits right next to Vaught-Hemingway on Hill Drive. Basketball weekends are far easier to book than football, and the hotels near the Square and the Conference Center are a five-minute drive. Hotels near the Pavilion
Getting here
Memphis International (MEM) is the closest major airport, about 68 miles and roughly an hour and a half from Oxford by I-55 and Highway 6. By car, Oxford is about 85 miles from Memphis, 55 from Tupelo, 160 from Jackson and 185 from Birmingham. Coming from Starkville for the Egg Bowl, it’s about 93 miles. More on where Ole Miss is located.
