As the beginning of the semester rapidly approaches, it can only mean one thing: It’s time for sorority rush season. Sorority rush has absolutely blown up on social media during the past couple of years, and it all started because of the most famous and well-known school for rush, the University of Alabama, also known simply as Bama.
Ever since 2021, when Bama Rush went viral on TikTok, recruitment season has attracted attention online every year since, with viewers becoming invested in each new group of PNMs as they share their OOTDs and GRWMs, and eventually reveal which house they run home to at the end of it all. But sorority rush can be super confusing to follow, especially for people who are not involved in Greek life or have not been through recruitment. There are so many new terms and names for things to remember, and it can be super hard to keep track of all of this new lingo. This is especially true at Bama, where Greek life is a huge part of school culture and there is even more lore to remember. One thing that can constantly be confusing for people following Bama Rush on TikTok is what an Old Row or New Row sorority is, as these terms are constantly used to describe different houses, but it can be hard at first glance to guess what they mean. So, what’s the difference between an Old Row and New Row sorority at Bama? Let’s get into it.
What is an Old Row sorority at Bama?
Essentially, an Old Row sorority at Bama means the sorority was one of the first sororities on campus, or that its house was built before 1960. There are currently seven Old Row sororities at Bama: Kappa Kappa Gamma (KKG), Kappa Delta (KD), Chi Omega (Chi O), Alpha Chi Omega (A Chi O), Delta Delta Delta (Tri Delt), Alpha Gamma Delta (AGD), and Phi Mu. This is a little confusing, since Zeta Tau Alpha (Zeta) and Alpha Delta Pi (ADPi) were also among the first sororities established on campus. Further, Phi Mu was added to the Old Row after the others were. Many have speculated why this is the case, but there is no public confirmation of the reasoning.
So, what does being an Old Row sorority even mean for a chapter? For the most part, it’s just a matter of vibes — according to those on TikTok familiar with Bama, Old Row sororities tend to lean more into old-school Southern traditions and conservative values, and they have a reputation for taking more in-state PNMs than out-of-state ones. That said, these are just general stereotypes and don’t necessarily hold true for every chapter — let alone every individual sorority woman in those chapters.
What is a New Row sorority at Bama?
The rest of the houses at Bama besides the Old Row seven are considered to be the New Row sororities: Alpha Delta Pi (ADPi), Zeta Tau Alpha (Zeta), Alpha Delta Chi (ADChi), Alpha Omicron Pi (AOII), Alpha Phi, Delta Gamma (DG), Delta Zeta (DZ), Gamma Phi Beta (GPhiB), Kappa Alpha Theta (Theta), Pi Beta Phi (Pi Phi), Sigma Delta Tau (SDT), and Sigma Kappa (SK).
Generally speaking, New Row sororities tend to appear more modern and less steeped in tradition, and they are also known for taking more PNMs who are from out of state.
Although initially confusing, the distinction between the two is pretty easy to remember, and is good background information on the chapters at Bama, whether you are preparing to rush or just to watch!