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.”

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)

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.