Staff from Playboy magazine are visiting the University of Iowa campus.

The magazine’s "Girls of" issue, published annually in October, features one to two women from each campus in different NCAA conferences. This year, Playboy photographers are visiting Big Ten campuses to find women to appear in the October 2012 "Girls of the Big Ten" pictorial.

Abi O’Donnell, the Playboy publicity manager, said women at Big Ten universities are featured around every five years, in a rotation with Pacific Ten, Big 12, ACC, and SEC. Playboy‘s editors choose women who exhibit the most school pride and outgoing personalities, she said.

"Sometimes there’s a stigma that we’re just looking for blondes," she said. "Our photographers don’t have a particular look in mind."

Being physically fit, photogenic, and having a fun and outgoing personality are other qualities that increase chances of being featured, she said. Participants must be at least 18 and registered as full- or part-time students at the participating school. Approximately 20 to 30 women register to pose at each casting, O’Donnell said.

Jodi Vander Woude, a Playboy photographer who is at the UI casting call, said there is an overall look and feel they go for when choosing women to feature.

"We’re looking for the girl next door. College women have a collegiate look that we’re looking for," she said. "We love Iowa. [There are] tons of cute women, [and] the campus is beautiful."

— by Beth Bratsos