Bama - Old Row/New Row clarification

[AnchorAlumna]

All the fraternities on campus used to be on the west side, just north of where the sororities are now. In the late 1950s/early 1960s, fraternity houses were built on the east side of campus (building is continuing there today).
Thus the term "Old Row" meant the fraternities on the west side in the older houses, and "New Row" meant the fraternities on the east side in new houses.

Sororities were not originally part of that designation, but over the years it has morphed into a term for both fraternities and sororities that belong to the....guess you could call it a party club, or drinking club.

[JFFMom]

Thank you both - that is really interesting! I have never heard any of this before. I knew Greek Chat would provide some answers. I just went to Bama's Homecoming and Alabama doesn't strike me as being a mega party campus - but then again there were a lot of us parent types around this weekend. I have to laugh because it sounds like the Old Row thing would fit in better at the University of Wisconsin! We bleed beer from our veins. That is where 3 generations of my family have gone. My daughter broke the tradition.

[AnchorAlumna]

I believe UA was the winner of the first Playboy magazine top party campus designation...around 1973 or '74?
I remember the SGA president talking about how they got the survey in the mail, and he took it back to his fraternity house where they all had a grand time inventing answers!!

But yes, the presence of parents may have had something to do with that weekend's tame atmosphere.

You do know, the pre-parties start at midnight, with the main attraction band coming on about 2 a.m.?