The Bama Rush obsession is real: Inside the phenomena of OOTDs, sorority recruitment

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.

The 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?

Bama Rush:The problem with treating Bama Rush TikTokers like famous reality stars

How did #BamaRush start?

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.

OOTD: A big part of Bama Rush

Courtney White, Esq, a Houston, Texas-based lawyer, has been sharing her thoughts about the PNMs on her TikTok for three years now. White is an alumna of Texas A&M University and a member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority Inc., a Divine Nine sorority. (Note: White told USA TODAY that although she is a member of the sorority, the opinions expressed below are her own and not those of the sorority.)

As a bit of a fashionista herself, White has enjoyed watching Bama Rush evolve each year.

“I do enjoy kind of the evolution of Bama Rush. It seems more relatable overall in terms of what the girls are wearing and what they're showcasing.” 

After #bamarush and #alabamarush started trending on TikTok White decided to make a post about the Bama Rush Week OOTD.

“I got into it at the end of the first year, but I was really in it like the second year," White said. "What I noticed as I posted a video and I said ‘I'm grown but I'm watching all of these Bama Rush OOTD videos because it was so fun. The outfits were cute.’"

"I never knew that video would go viral, and so I just kind of kept talking about it," she said.

White sees Bama Rush as an opportunity for young women to create friendships, enjoy their college years, and ultimately have fun creating content.  

“A lot of the girls are getting brand deals. It seems like one brand in particular, altar'd state, is really reaching out,” she said. “Many of these young ladies are becoming young entrepreneurs and influencers because of Bama Rush.” 

Bama Rush and brand deals

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."

A look at Bama Rush Week 2024 details

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 will be held this Sunday Aug. 18 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, Aug. 16, and Preference Day, which is Saturday, Aug. 17.

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.

Bama Rush: Meet some of the young women vying to be in a sorority

If you search Bama Rush on TikTok you will find many of the PNMs gracing your feed and giving OOTDs as they head off to events for Bama Rush Week.

Here are just a few of the young women who have taken followers along for the ride that is Bama Rush "Season 4". Let's wish these ladies luck as they approach Bid Day Sunday!

Contributing: Hannah Yasharoff, USA TODAY; Ken Roberts, Tuscaloosa News

Ahjané Forbes is a reporter on the National Trending Team at USA TODAY. Ahjané covers breaking news, car recalls, crime, health, lottery and public policy stories. Email her at aforbes@gannett.com. Follow her on Instagram, Threads and X (Twitter) @forbesfineest.