When Arizona State plays a home game at Mountain America Stadium, formerly known as Sun Devil Stadium, Tempe sees a surge in visitor demand for places to stay near campus. For short-term rental owners, ASU game days create a chance to raise nightly rates, and with them, revenue, provided the property is appropriately priced and positioned before demand peaks.
This guide covers how Arizona State home games affect Tempe short-term rental demand, what the available market data shows about occupancy and pricing during football season, and what property owners can do to get more out of each home game weekend.
Why Tempe Short-Term Rental Demand Spikes Every Football Season
Tempe doesn't depend on weather alone to fill bookings the way many Arizona vacation rental markets do. It has a fixed, publicly known calendar of high-demand dates tied to ASU's home football schedule.
The Sun Devils' season runs roughly from late August through November, and each home game can create its own concentrated demand window around it. Guests plan their travel around a specific date months ahead, giving owners something most rental markets don't offer: advance notice of exactly when demand will peak.
Public market data doesn't isolate ASU football weekends from the rest of Tempe's seasonal demand, so there's no citywide percentage showing exactly how much a home game moves occupancy or nightly rates. What owners can identify is the timing. The schedule is public months in advance, so owners can plan pricing and availability around it even without a game-day-specific statistic to point to.
AirDNA's Tempe market overview, current as of August 2026, puts trailing twelve-month occupancy for the city at 69%, up sharply from the prior year. That's a citywide average across every week of the calendar, not a game-day figure. It points to a market running tighter than it was a year ago, with a football season about to layer its own demand on top of that baseline.
Tempe's event calendar doesn't stop when football does, either. Cactus League spring training, ASU graduation weekends, and other campus events keep the calendar busy well past November. Football season is simply the most concentrated stretch.
How Arizona State Game Day Bookings Differ From Typical Weekend Stays
A guest booking a standard weekend in Tempe is often comparing several listings, several dates, and several price points before deciding. A game-day guest already knows the date, who ASU is playing, and how many people in their group need a place to stay.
That certainty changes what they book. Arizona State game day bookings tend to favor larger groups, including alumni traveling with family, out-of-state fans coordinating with local friends, or groups of former classmates making a weekend of it. They look for properties that sleep six or more, outdoor space for a pre-game gathering, easy access to Mountain America Stadium or the light rail, and check-in times flexible enough to fit a tailgate schedule.
They also tend to book earlier than a typical leisure traveler. They often book well ahead of kickoff, and properties with the space and location guests want book out first. A listing that isn't appropriately priced and listed well before the season starts can miss some of that early demand.
How Event Pricing Works for Tempe Airbnb Hosts on ASU Game Weekends
A flat nightly rate that doesn't change from week to week can cost a host during football season, undercharging on the weekends when demand is highest and overcharging during the slow stretches in between.
Dynamic pricing tools adjust nightly rates based on real-time demand signals, and a home football weekend gives hosts a clear event date to price around. The adjustment isn't limited to Saturday night, either. A host who wants the full value of a game weekend also looks at Friday arrival pricing, minimum-night requirements, and the nights on either side of the game that would otherwise sit empty.
Rabbu's Tempe market data, current as of April 2026, showed average daily rates in the city running well below the statewide Arizona average, with sharp month-to-month swings in revenue. That gap between a slow month and a strong one is what dynamic, event-aware pricing is meant to narrow. A property priced the same in June as it is the week of a home game is likely underpriced on one end or the other.
Curious what professional pricing management costs and whether it's worth it for your property? Our breakdown of Airbnb management fees walks through the numbers.
Tempe Airbnb Occupancy Rates: What the Data Shows for Football Season
Occupancy and nightly rate tell two different parts of the same story, and football season is where they move together.
Rabbu's data showed Tempe's smaller units, in the two- and three-bedroom range, holding occupancy in the mid-50% range annually, while larger five- and six-bedroom properties sat closer to the mid-30s. That gap shows up because a big house sits empty more often in a normal week, not because it performs worse on the weekends that matter. On a home game weekend, a six-bedroom property can outperform smaller units, since group size is exactly what a tailgate crowd is booking for.
Seasonality in Tempe is real and documented. Rabbu's data showed average monthly revenue swinging roughly fourfold between the market's strongest month and its weakest, driven mostly by spring training and the winter snowbird season. Neither AirDNA nor Rabbu breaks out a football-specific premium in their public data. The best strategy for football season is to apply that same seasonal logic to a shorter, more concentrated set of dates, not to treat it as a separately measured statistic.
Curious what your Tempe property could earn on game weekends? Use our free Airbnb Rental Income Calculator to get an instant estimate. No commitment required.
What Amenities Game-Day Guests Look For in a Tempe Vacation Rental
Game-day guests travel differently than a typical weekend visitor, and their amenity priorities reflect that.
Group capacity matters most, since a property that sleeps six to ten or more can host a group a two-bedroom condo never could. Outdoor space is nearly as important, giving a tailgate group somewhere to gather before kickoff with a patio, yard, or covered deck, and parking helps too for guests driving in from Phoenix, Scottsdale, or farther away. Walking distance to Mountain America Stadium or the light rail is a nice-to-have rather than a requirement, since many guests weigh group size and price more heavily than exact proximity, especially with rideshare and transit both easy to use.
A few smaller amenities separate the listings that book out early from the ones that don't. A living room set up for pre-game coverage, a full kitchen so a group can cook together instead of splitting a restaurant bill eight ways, dependable Wi-Fi, and early check-in when the schedule allows it all help.
This investment isn't limited to football season. Cactus League spring training and other ASU campus events use the same amenities year-round, so upgrades made for the fall keep earning long after the season ends.
How Professional Property Management Maximizes Revenue During Football Season
A profitable game weekend depends on more than raising the nightly rate. It takes rates reviewed and adjusted as the week approaches, a listing positioned for the guest profile booking that weekend, fast responses to guest questions, and a plan for last-minute cancellations or rebooking. Staying on top of all of it, every home game, for an entire season, is a lot to manage around a full-time job.
A professionally managed Tempe property has its pricing and availability mapped out before the season starts, not scrambled together the week of the first home game. Pricing gets reviewed and adjusted in the days leading up to kickoff, not set once and left alone. Cleaning and restocking happen between every guest without a gap in the calendar, and any issue that comes up during a stay gets handled without the owner needing to step in.
If you want to see what that looks like specifically in Tempe, our pages on Airbnb property management in Tempe and Tempe vacation rental management cover what's included.
The same approach applies in other Arizona markets with a heavy events calendar. Our guide to maximizing Airbnb bookings during Scottsdale's biggest events covers the same principles, just with a different set of dates.
Tips for Tempe Airbnb Hosts Preparing for the Football Season Calendar
- Pull the official ASU home football schedule from sundevils.com as soon as it's released, and block your personal calendar around those dates right away so the property stays available to book.
- Review last season's pricing history and look for any home game weekend that sold out weeks in advance. That's a sign your rate for that weekend was set too low.
- Update your listing photos and amenity descriptions before the season starts, with group-friendly features and outdoor space front and center.
- Set a two-night minimum for game weekends so a single-night booking doesn't leave an unsellable gap on either side.
- If you're managing the property yourself, consider trying professional management for one football season to see the revenue difference directly.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much more can I charge for my Tempe Airbnb on ASU game weekends?
The premium depends on your property's size, its distance from campus, and how well it's dynamically priced and positioned for that specific weekend. A larger, group-friendly property close to Mountain America Stadium or the light rail typically commands a bigger jump over its normal rate than a smaller unit farther out.
How far in advance do guests book Tempe rentals for ASU football games?
Game-day guests tend to book well before kickoff, especially for larger properties in desirable locations near campus. A listing that isn't appropriately priced and positioned for game weekends early may miss some of that advance demand.
What if my Tempe property isn't within walking distance of Mountain America Stadium?
Walking distance helps, but it's a preference, not a requirement. Many game-day guests weigh group size, amenities, and price more heavily than exact proximity, particularly when light rail or rideshare access is easy.
Does professional Airbnb management make sense for just football season, or is it a year-round commitment?
Most management arrangements run year-round rather than season by season, but football offers a clear window to see the value. Tempe's calendar also includes Cactus League spring training and ASU campus events outside of football, so the case for year-round management usually extends well beyond the fall.
How do I know if my property qualifies for professional management with The CT Brothers?
Reach out for a free consultation, or use the rental income calculator above for a baseline estimate. The CT Brothers manages properties across Tempe and the greater Phoenix area and can assess fit based on your property's location, type, and your goals as an owner.
Get Your Tempe Property Ready for Football Season
The Sun Devils' home schedule is set months in advance, and so is the demand around it. Owners who get their pricing and listing ready before the season starts capture the earliest, highest-value bookings.
Contact The CT Brothers today to find out how much your Tempe property could earn during ASU football season. Call (623) 263-7091 or request a free rental income estimate.
