Bid Day means the fall semester is approaching for the University of Alabama
Bid Day means that the fall semester at the University of Alabama is about to begin.
At the University of Alabama’s annual sorority recruitment event, held Sunday at Bryant-Denny Stadium, thousands of students will learn which sorority accepted their offer of membership.
More: What the documentary “Bama Rush” reveals about the sororities at the University of Alabama
Bid Day is the culmination of Rush Week, which began at UA on August 10. Rush Week provides an opportunity for fraternities to host events where new students can meet members for the first time.
Videos from UA’s Sorority Rush Week went viral on TikTok in 2021. The hashtags #bamarush and #alabamarush on TikTok have attracted millions of views over the past few years.
In 2022, a film crew came to Tuscaloosa to document UA’s Rush Week from the perspective of the participating students. The resulting documentary, “Bama Rush: Acceptance Is Everything,” premiered on the streaming service Max in May 2023.
On Bid Day, students meet at Bryant-Denny Stadium, where they are given a manila envelope. Students open their envelopes simultaneously and then “walk” home to their new homes.
Bid Day was formerly known as “Squeal Day,” after the cries of joy from new inductees when they learned which fraternity house they had been accepted into.
UA has traditionally been home to a thriving fraternity system.
According to the Department of Student Life website, 36% of UA students belong to Greek fraternities. That means that approximately 12,000 students belong to UA’s 71 Greek organizations. As of 2011, UA has had the largest fraternity and sorority membership in the country.
Classes for the fall 2024 semester at UA begin on August 21.
Reach Ken Roberts at [email protected].
