The Tennessee Volunteers are preparing to take on the Texas Longhorns Saturday, Sept. 26, and excitement around the game has been building for months.
It was once believed Texas quarterback Arch Manning, nephew of Vols football legend, Peyton Manning, would never play in Neyland Stadium, but he is, and hotels for the two teams' first game as conference rivals were already starting to sell out in July.
Not only is there a limited number of very expensive hotel rooms left, but Airbnb options also skyrocketed. Some rentals cost as much as $10,000.
So, what options do people still have if they want to visit Knoxville for theTennessee v. Texas game? Not many.
How much a hotel for the Tennessee vs. Texas game cost?
The Graduate Hotel by Hilton sits just steps away from UT's campus and was sold out months ago,
according to its website. It's no surprise that rooms at the Knoxville Graduate went quickly, Saloon 16, a bar and restaurant co-owned by Manning and Graduate CEO, is inside the hotel The Hilton on Church Avenue is also sold out.
The Tennessean, at the end of Cumberland Avenue and also within walking distance of campus, has also been sold out for several months. A message that says "Sorry, we have no availability for your selected dates. Check alternate dates or nearby hotels to continue your booking," is displayed across the screen when trying to book a room for this weekend.
The Marriott was displaying a message that said "Not available for check-in" on its website when trying to book rooms for Sept. 25-27. It now has rooms available. However, the average price for this downtown Knoxville hotel is upwards of $2,500.
A room at Fort Sanders' Cumberland House is also going to cost fans over $2,000. A one-night stay at this hotel is around $2,300. If Vols fans want to stay the whole weekend, the price to stay at Cumberland House would be over $6,000 after taxes and fees.
As of the morning of Sept. 22, the Crowne Plaza had one room left for the weekend. The total cost of the stay for the weekend would be about $2,400.
Downtown hotels might be sold out or cost thousands of dollars, but what about West Knoxville and Cedar Bluff hotels that normally cost a little less? Those options are far above their usual price range too.
The Hilton Garden Inn off Papermill Drive is about $600. The price for a bye week is about $150. The Courtyard by Marriott in West Knoxville still has rooms available for about $670. The Hampton Inn is sold out for the weekend.
Why is the Tennessee vs. Texas game so highly anticipated?
Tennessee and Texas have only gone head-to-head three times in college football history, and the last time was Jan. 1, 1969. All three matchups were played at the New Year's Day Cotton Bowl. This is the Longhorns' first season in the SEC after leaving the Big 12.
So not only is it the two teams' first time facing each other in 57 years, but it is also their first time ever playing each other while in the same conference.
"College GameDay"added fuel to the fire when it announced it would come to Knoxville to host its weekly traveling pregame show.
Fans are also being asked to participate in Checker Neyland by wearing all orange or all white based on the section they are sitting in to create a checkerboard pattern.
Afton Pratt covers trending and breaking news for Knox News and Tennessee. She can be reached at ampratt@usatodayco.com.
This article originally appeared on Knoxville News Sentinel: Hotels for Tennessee vs. Texas still available if you're willing to spend $2,000
