Bama Rush goes viral on TikTok as Alabama sorority recruitment explodes
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Sorority recruitment at the University of Alabama, better known as “Bama Rush,” has become a viral cultural moment, with thousands watching to see which houses incoming freshmen join.
It’s a week defined by carefully coordinated outfits, whirlwind conversations, and now, millions of TikTok views. While rush has always been a high-stakes tradition in the South, the social media age has turned it into a viral spectacle.
Videos from the University of Alabama’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 and continue to do so.
“It’s emotional boot camp. It’s psychological warfare,” Brandis Bradley, a sorority coach, told PEOPLE of the process of primary recruitment. “And their frontal lobes aren’t even fully developed.”
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With over 1.2 million TikTok followers, Kylan Darnell used her viral platform to share a behind-the-scenes look at Southern sorority life. (Kylan Darnell)
For two members of Zeta Tau Alpha — senior Kylan Darnell and junior Kaiden Kilpatrick — the reality of Greek life is personal and powerful after the two women harnessed social media to attract thousands of viewers to their pages.
‘I had no idea what rush was’
Darnell didn’t grow up with Southern sorority culture. The reigning Miss Ohio Teen USA at the time, she arrived at Alabama from a small town with little knowledge of what rush even entailed.
“I was the first person from my high school to go to Alabama,” Darnell told Fox News Digital. “I had no idea about the culture, and honestly, I felt clueless. When I got to orientation and other girls started talking about rush, I had to ask, ‘What is that?’”
Kylan Darnell, a senior at the University of Alabama, has garnered 1.2M faithful followers on TikTok, with 82.7M likes. The Ohio native chose the University of Alabama because of their sports broadcasting program. (Beth Studenberg )
Kylan Darnell told Fox News Digital that behind the scenes, the reality of maintaining a TikTok following can become toxic. (Beth Studenberg )
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That same night, she got her first real taste of what sorority life looked like when a group of girls and their mothers took her down Sorority Row. She was instantly hooked.
“I called my mom and said, ‘Mother, I have to try to be in a sorority,’” she recalled. “But my parents weren’t on board at first. My mom said no. My dad said, ‘We’re not paying for friends.’”
“He told me, ‘You’re the most outgoing girl we know, you’ll be fine without it.’ But I kept pushing. Daddy listened to his little princess,” she added with a laugh. “Eventually, I talked them into it.”
Kylan Darnell, a Zeta Tau Alpha member at the University of Alabama, became a breakout star during 2022’s viral “Bama Rush” TikTok phenomenon. (Kylan Darnell)
A spontaneous TikTok she made on the first day of recruitment, originally sent to her family’s text message group chat to explain the process to her family, went viral while she was still in orientation. Within hours, her life changed.
“That first video was supposed to be a video diary for my family,” she said. “But I posted it on TikTok, and when I came back from convocation, my phone had blown up. I couldn’t believe it.”
A former Miss Ohio Teen USA, Kylan Darnell says joining a sorority helped her find community and confidence far from home. (Kylan Darnell)
Her audience grew overnight.
“After that, my life completely changed,” she said. “I became financially independent and was able to pay for the rest of college through TikTok. It launched my platform, and gave me a voice.”
But that platform came with a price. Darnell, now with 1.2 million followers and over 82 million likes, said the scrutiny became overwhelming.
“It’s been fun and I wouldn’t trade it, but it’s also been really hard to navigate college while being under a microscope,” she said. “People forget that we’re real people.”
The highlight reel vs. reality
Kaiden Kilpatrick, who joined Zeta in 2023 and now has over 228,000 TikTok followers of her own, echoed that sentiment, but said social media also brought access.
“It’s helping more than anything, but it creates a ‘highlight reel,’” Kilpatrick told Fox News Digital. “Recruitment is so much more than TikTok trends. It’s about finding people who push you to grow. The challenge is reminding everyone there’s real connection and purpose behind all the aesthetics.”
Members of Zeta Tau Alpha pose for a photo in front of their sorority house on Bid Day at The University of Alabama on Sunday, August 14, 2022. (Photo/Will McLelland)
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Darnell agreed, and this year, she chose to take a step back.
“I didn’t want to keep posting just for views,” she said. “When my younger sister started rushing, the comments about her were brutal. I needed to protect my peace.”
New members of Zeta Tau Alpha take a selfie as they walk out of Bryant Denny Stadium to meet their new sorority sisters on Bid Day at The University of Alabama. (Photo/Will McLelland)
She also acknowledged how quickly things can turn toxic.
“The comments start coming in, and suddenly it’s not fun anymore. It used to be something I was proud to show. But people began making assumptions about my sorority or my sister, and it was exhausting.”
Seventeen sororities welcomed new members on the University of Alabama Panhellenic Association Bid Day on Sunday, Aug. 18, 2024. (Photo/Will McLelland)
Sisterhood beyond the screen
Both women shared the impact of the community of high achievers that their sorority has provided.
“Leadership isn’t just about holding a title,” said Kilpatrick. “It’s about showing up for people on their worst days, not just their best. Loyalty isn’t blind. It’s choosing to have someone’s back even when it’s hard or inconvenient.”
For Darnell, an aspiring sports broadcaster, the value of Greek life showed up in one unforgettable moment when she was connected to renowned sports broadcaster Erin Andrews.
“Right after I ran home to Zeta, I got a call from Erin Andrews. She’s a Zeta too,” she said. “She told me, ‘Good job, little Kylan — I can’t wait to see you fill my shoes.’ That was surreal.”
Seventeen sororities welcomed new members on the University of Alabama Panhellenic Association Bid Day Sunday, Aug. 18, 2024. (Photo/Will McLelland)
Beyond the glamour, she said, the real value is in the way sororities support driven women.
“People think it’s all parties and outfits, but I’ve met some of the most motivated, career-focused women I know through my sorority,” she said. “Being surrounded by girls who are also striving for something, it helped me push toward my dreams too.”
“It’s more than social life. It’s GPA standards, philanthropy, leadership training. My house emphasizes academics and it’s full of girls who are future CEOs, doctors, broadcasters.”
A new member of Zeta Tau Alpha fist bumps someone as she walks out of Bryant Denny Stadium with other new members to meet their sorority sisters on Bid Day at The University of Alabama on Sunday, August 14, 2022. (Photo/Will McLelland)
The future of rush
Still, both women admit the future of RushTok is uncertain. With growing scrutiny, misconceptions, and pressure, they’re not sure the next wave of college freshmen will document the process as openly.
“It’s getting to the point where I don’t think girls will keep posting,” Darnell said. “The negativity is too much. It used to be so fun, now it’s stressful.”
“You have girls getting judged on what they wear, where they end up, and then complete strangers attack the sororities when things don’t go the way they expected. That’s not what this is about.”
New members of Zeta Tau Alpha run to their house after opening their bids in Bryant-Denny Stadium. (Photo/Will McLelland)
Kilpatrick echoed the concern but expressed hope.
“Instead of tearing girls down for being ‘too much,’” she said, “we should be celebrating the fact that they’re putting themselves out there in a high-pressure environment where it’s way easier to hide.”
“At a school where tradition is everything,” she added, “I see my role as honoring it, but also making sure it evolves with the women in it.”
Statue outside of Bryant-Denny Stadium on the campus of the University of Alabama before a game between the Alabama Crimson Tide and the Texas A&M Aggies. (Wesley Hitt/Getty Images)
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At the University of Alabama, on Aug. 17 at Bryant-Denny Stadium in Tuscaloosa, is when thousands of students find out which sorority has accepted their membership bid.