(NEXSTAR) — With just over a month left of summer, the fall football season is on its way (though probably not fast enough for football fans). The start of a new school year means many Texas towns will start seeing more people coming in to catch college games.
While Texas is home to some of the country’s most famous college towns and teams, there’s one city in the Lone Star State that Airbnb reports is the state’s biggest destination in bookings for upcoming stays so far this year.
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.
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
- Lexington, Kentucky
- Wheat Ridge, Colorado
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.
Austin, home of the University of Texas Longhorns, is also home to big football tourism. Texas’ Capitol was previously named among the Travel Channel’s “15 College Football Cities to Visit.”