When Playboy magazine came to campus last spring to see if sex sells in the Big Ten, two Illinois women were sold on the idea of posing nude.

McKenzie Closen, junior in marketing, and J'Tia Taylor, graduate student in nuclear engineering, were chosen to be featured in the magazine's "Women of the Big 10" October college issue after the two saw a newspaper advertisement.

"I subscribe to Playboy," Closen said. "I've always wanted to do it."

About 100 girls auditioned to be in the magazine's annual college issue, which features a different football conference each October. The magazine has published the college-themed issue every year since 1977.

"It's always been one of our most popular issues," said Theresa Hennessey, spokeswoman for Playboy magazine.

The producer (who also served as the makeup artist for the photo shoots) and a photographer from the magazine ran the interviews and chose the girls from Illinois. In the interview, the girls answered questions about their hobbies, goals and background and posed for a couple of test photographs.

"We're looking for well-rounded, photogenic girls who represent the college student," Hennessey said. "(The image we want is) very girl-next-door."

While the aspiring bunnies didn't have to pose nude for the test Polaroids, Closen said she chose to bare it all.

After a Monday audition, the magazine called her Tuesday night wanting a photo shoot with her the next day.

"I was screaming and crying and jumping up and down ... I was really excited," said Closen of her reaction, which she shared with her roommate. "It was the first time I did something I really wanted to do, and I did it completely on my own."

As for Taylor, who "did it on a whim," she said she called just one person for advice when she found out the magazine had chosen her.

"I didn't ask anyone except my sister. I knew she would give me an honest opinion," said Taylor.

The magazine opted for a collage-style photo spread, including girls from each Big Ten school. Taylor and Closen were the only Illinois women chosen while other schools had many others.

Hennessey said the magazine tried to include girls with a variety of appearances and personalities.

"It totally varies," she said. "It's not because there weren't cute girls at Illinois."

The magazine photographed several students from other schools who did not appear in the October issue, but who might appear in the Playboy Special Edition College Girls issue in April 2004.

Closen's photo shoot was at Frasca Field Airport in Urbana, a location the magazine chose after Closen told the producer her grandfather was a fighter pilot in World War II. Closen's photo in the magazine features her nude, seductively eyeing the camera as she stands on her knees with a green, canvas parachute harness strapped to her back.

"I never felt hotter than on that day," she said.

Taylor, who said she had always been interested in modeling, said she told the magazine she was not comfortable posing completely nude but would pose topless.

"At first I was nervous, but they were all very positive and asked my opinions about everything," Taylor said.

Taylor went to Los Angeles this summer and auditioned to be a playmate. Although she has had no offers to become a playmate yet, the magazine put her in contact with agencies in the Chicago area; Taylor signed with Ford Models, Inc. on Monday.

Taylor is now working on her master's degree and plans to enter the University's doctoral program next fall.

"I thought my picture was very tasteful; I did it because I wanted to get into modeling and it worked for me for that," she said.

Closen said the magazine called her about three weeks before the issue was released to let her know she would be featured in it.

"My parents have always been really supportive about everything I decide to do," she said. "They are so happy. They're bragging to everyone they know."

Closen recently returned from Los Angeles where she met people from Playboy TV and informally talked about auditioning to be on the channel.

"Whatever offers come to me I'll take, but school comes first," she said. "I just could never imagine not graduating from college."

Hennessey said it was common for students featured in college issues to pursue modeling or become Playboy playmates.

That was the case for Stephanie Heinrich, a former University of Cincinnati student, who was featured in the October 2000 "Girls of Conference USA" issue and later appeared as the Miss October 2001 playmate. And Holly Herckis, a former Northwestern University student, debuted in the October 1997 "Women of the Big Ten" issue and later was part of the cast of the High School Reunion reality television show.