Each fall, as college football players in the Southeast put on their pads and walk out into the bright lights of a Saturday night football stadium, the teams of the Southeastern Conference are out to make one thing clear: the SEC is the best conference in the nation. But they aren’t the only ones out to prove that the SEC is the best. Dozens of students from the Southeast, including three from The University of Alabama, recently posed for Playboy Magazine’s Girls of the SEC edition to prove that the SEC is home to more than the best football in the nation; it is also home to some of the most beautiful college girls anywhere in the world. “The SEC is the hottest conference in America today – in more ways than one,” said the article in Playboy magazine. “Where else would Playboy’s team of photographers go to shoot our annual collegiate special? To the Southeast, where the only things more smoking than the tailgate barbeques are the coeds.” Jackie Pines, a junior majoring in international studies, was told about Playboy’s photo shoot by a coworker and decided to audition. “When I auditioned, I honestly did not expect a call back,” Pines said. “When I did get the call, I decided that if I did not take the opportunity, I would regret it for the rest of my life. The most beautiful women in the world grace the pages of Playboy, so how could I not want to be among them?” Despite having a previous interest in modeling, nothing ever became of that interest, Pines said. “I have always wanted to or had an interest in modeling, but I have never pursued it,” she said. “I do not plan to try and make a career of modeling, but if something comes about because of the exposure from Playboy, I would not turn it down.” Even though Pines admitted to being a bit apprehensive just before the Girls of the SEC edition was released, she has no regrets. “As the release date approached, I got very nervous,” she said. “Now that it is out, I am happy and have more self-confidence. I have lots of support from my friends and family.” Alex Sanders, a junior majoring in telecommunication and film at the University, found out about the Playboy auditions from the magazine’s Twitter feed. “My roommate followed Playboy on Twitter before I even did,” Sanders said. “After Playboy tweeted that they were coming to UA, she called me and said, ‘Oh my gosh, you’ve got to do this.’” Although Sanders has never done any kind of modeling before, she has always wanted to pose for Playboy. “I used to watch the Girls Next Door, like when it first started, and it was one of my favorite TV shows,” Sanders said. “I think I was in junior high when the show started, but I was like, ‘Oh my God, I would love to go to the Playboy Mansion, and I’d love to be in Playboy.’” Sanders considers herself lucky to have been selected to pose in a world-renowned magazine such as Playboy. “I feel like this was definitely the opportunity of a lifetime,” Sanders said. “Even if I hadn’t gotten chosen for the finals, I would still get to say that I actually auditioned for Playboy. But I actually got it.” Johnna Dominguez, a first-year graduate student majoring in anthropology, found out about the auditions from an article in The Crimson White. Since she had been a fan of Playboy for quite some time, she decided to give it a try. “I don’t purchase Playboy magazines, but I am a member of the Playboy Cyberclub,” Dominguez said. “I have always been interested in posing for them, so I was really excited to get the chance.” The reputation of Playboy, as well as that of the women who pose for Playboy, convinced Dominguez to audition. “All the girls that pose are beautiful, sexy and intelligent,” she said. “I just decided to give it a shot.” Dominguez said she would welcome any opportunity to do more modeling for Playboy in the future. “I really enjoyed modeling for Playboy,” she said. “I’ve never thought of modeling before, but now I would really love a chance to do it in the future.”