how important are summer rush events?

Not at all, I didn’t go to any and got bids from almost every fraternity on row, obviously this was years ago but I doubt it matters now either

Most people that rush will not have attended a summer event prior to fall rush so I wouldn’t worry too much about it. However, UTK has a formal recruitment process now and you don’t get a lot of time at each house to really get to know brothers well. Out of state kids are at a bit of a disadvantage since in state guys typically already know some people in fraternities that they might of went to school with in high school. With that being said, don’t panic because there’s 20+ fraternities to choose from.

I went to a bunch of summer rush events and ended up joining a fraternity that I didn't go to a summer event for. So I honestly wouldn't try to worry about it as much. Just try and meet as many people as you can when you get on campus so that you can have some familiar faces.