Bama Rush Is Exploding Wildly

Bama Rush Week is happening right now at the University of Alabama, and this year’s potential new members, or PNMs as they are called, have taken over TikTok yet again as always.

The white girls that want to be a part of Greek life at the university have racked up thousands of followers and millions of views on TikTok. Each girl has created their own engaging style taking followers with them as they get closer to Bid Day, the day they officially find out which sorority they will be a part of.

The Bama Rush process even inspired a documentary titled "Bama Rush: Acceptance Is Everything" which premiered on the Max streaming service in May 2023.

So why is Bama Rush such a big deal each year?

Videos from UA's sorority rush week went viral on TikTok in 2021. The #bamarush and #alabamarush hashtags on TikTok have attracted millions of views during the past few years. Many followers online are calling this year's Bama Rush "Season 4". And fans can't seem to get enough of a Bama Rush staple: the coveted OOTD, which is an acronym for "outfit of the day." It's not uncommon for the ladies to showcase outfits wearing jewelry from Hermès , enewton and David Yurman, Golden Goose sneakers, Gold Hinge tennis skirts, Lululemon outfits, Amazon accessories, and more.

Many of these young ladies even become young entrepreneurs and influencers because of Bama Rush. One example of this is Kylan Darnell. Darnell, now a member of Zeta Tau Alpha, shot to fame after her Bama Rush Tok stardom in 2022.

"I woke up (the morning after posting my first rush TikTok) with my phone blowing up," Darnell previously told USA TODAY about her rush experience. "My mom was like, 'have you checked your TikTok?' I gained like 100,000 followers in a night. Brands started reaching out, I started getting brand deals and making a little bit of money. It was like an overnight thing. It was crazy."

The ladies participating in Bama Rush now will learn their fate on what's called Bid Day. The University of Alabama's annual sorority recruitment event was held last Sunday 18 August at Bryant-Denny Stadium, where the university's football team holds its games. That's when thousands of young women will find out which sorority has accepted their membership bid, according to reporting by Tuscaloosa News, a part of the USA TODAY Network.

There, they will be handed a manila envelope, opening them all at the same time. They will then rush excitedly, or "run home," to their new sorority houses. Here's a look at the events that lead up to Bid Day:

• Convocation
• Open House
• Philanthropy (Days 1-3)
• Sisterhood (Days 1-3)
• Preference Day

The remaining events are Sisterhood Day 3, which is Friday, 16 August, and Preference Day, which is Saturday, 17 August.

For Convocation, Open House, and Philanthropy Days 1-3, you will notice the ladies rocking a more casual attire. The Philanthrophy Day OOTDs all consist of everyone wearing the same UA Panhellenic shirt and pairing it with a cute bottom and jewelry to stand out.

But for Sisterhood Days 1-3 and Preference Day the ladies have to up the ante as a more formal attire is required. Then it's back to casual for Bid Day as they will run to their new forever homes to meet their sisters, ready to be adorned with shirts, hats, and other paraphernalia bearing the sorority's Greek letters.