I got a little freaked today because the wedding is still 10 months away, and two of the hotels I checked with are already sold out! They are two of the ones nearest campus though. I'm still not sure what's going on, because it's not a home game weekend, but it could be something else on campus. Or certain groups hosting their conferences at those places, etc.
Everywhere else I have checked has availability. Even so, we are going to go soon (like next week or so) to check out a couple of them. I want to see a couple of the guest rooms, make sure the hotel overall is nice, not dirty looking or anything. I'm also checking out reviews on travel websites. I'd really like to look at some of the places on the west side of town, but that's probably last resort just because it's the furthest in driving time from the reception site.
How far in advance is everyone setting up their group blocks? Certainly doesn't hurt to have it in place, and to let guests know. I'm glad I found out now that some places are filling up!