Alabama at Mississippi State, October 3: Where to Stay in Starkville

Alabama plays at Mississippi State on Saturday, October 3, 2026, at Davis Wade Stadium in Starkville. If you are reading this looking for somewhere to sleep that weekend, here is the short version: book it today. This is the tightest lodging Saturday on the Starkville calendar, and it is not close.

The math nobody writes down

Starkville is a town of roughly 25,000 people. Davis Wade seats more than 60,000. On an ordinary home Saturday that arithmetic is already uncomfortable. On a Bama Saturday — with one of the most travel-heavy fan bases in the country pointed at a single exit off Highway 82 — it stops being arithmetic and starts being a scramble.

What that looks like in practice: hotel rates two to three times their weekday number, two-night minimums almost everywhere, and whole homes gone well before the hotels are. Homes clear first because they are the thing a group of eight or twelve actually wants, and there are only so many of them.

Our Starkville homes, by crew size

We keep six homes in Starkville, and they are sized for the way people actually show up to a game weekend — not solo, and not in pairs.

• The Camellia Estate — four bedrooms, sleeps 12. A big yard made for a backyard toss before kickoff. This is the three-family option.
• House of Rivals — Cowbell Row — three bedrooms, sleeps 11, and our most-booked game-day home. A wall of cowbells, a "More Cowbell" neon sign, maroon-and-white bedrooms, and a balcony worth eating breakfast on. Prime location right by campus.
• Southern Elk Lodge — four bedrooms, sleeps 11. The quieter counterpart to Cowbell Row when your group wants more bedrooms than theme.
• The Cowbell Cottage — three bedrooms, sleeps 8. The right size for two families splitting a weekend.
• The One Nine Seven — two bedrooms, sleeps 7.
• The Bully Bliss — one bedroom, sleeps 4. A couple or a small crew who would rather spend the money on the tailgate.

What is still open for October 3

Checked against our live calendar on August 18, 2026. Four of our six Starkville homes were still open for the Alabama weekend as of this morning: Cowbell Row (sleeps 11), Southern Elk Lodge (sleeps 11), The Camellia Estate (sleeps 12), and The Cowbell Cottage (sleeps 8). The One Nine Seven is already booked for those dates.

That is four homes for a weekend that is still six weeks out, in a town that will not have four homes left in three weeks. We are not going to pretend that number holds. Check live availability here — the calendar on that page is the real one, updated the moment something books.

If Starkville is gone by the time you read this

It happens, and it is worth knowing your alternates before you need them. Auburn is not at home on October 3 — their October date is LSU on the 24th — so if your Saturday is flexible, our Auburn homes are a different weekend entirely rather than a competing one. We also keep a home in Oxford for the other side of the state.

And if you are willing to trade the stadium for a town that empties out instead of filling up, October 3 is also Loblolly Festival day in Laurel — same Saturday, opposite experience, about two and a half hours south.

Book direct and keep the difference

Every one of our homes is listed on the big platforms, so compare us all you want. Then book direct at stayca.life and skip the 12–15% guest service fee the platforms add at checkout. On a $1,200 Alabama weekend that is $150 or more back in your pocket — which is ribeyes for the whole tailgate.

We are a family-owned Mississippi company running 4.95★ across more than 3,300 guest stays. When you have a question at 9pm on a Friday, you are texting the family, not a call center.

Frequently asked

When does Alabama play at Mississippi State in 2026?

Saturday, October 3, 2026 at Davis Wade Stadium. Kickoff and TV are announced by the SEC roughly six to twelve days out, so plan your arrival around a window rather than a time.

How far ahead should I book for the Alabama game?

Now. Whole homes clear first on this weekend, and most carry a two-night minimum.

Is a whole home cheaper than two hotel rooms?

Usually, once you are past four people — and you get a kitchen, which matters more than people expect on a Saturday morning in a full town.

Which Mississippi State home games sell out fastest?

Alabama on October 3 and Oklahoma on October 24, every time. See the full 2026 home schedule and where to stay.