TUSCALOOSA, Ala. -- Seven students who are members of the Sports Illustrated On Campus consultant team at The University of Alabama were recently named one of the top four teams nationally out of 50 teams.

UA students Morgan Weaver of Decatur, Katie Long of Auburn, Chris Hawk of Decatur, Lacy Nolan of Charlottesville, Va., Stephen Cummings of Brentwood, Tenn., Lauren Bradley of Pelham and Jamie McNamara of Bristol, Conn., make up the UA SI consulting team.

The student team researches opinions and reports trends on campus that give Sports Illustrated On Campus assistance with creating and publishing a relevant magazine covering issues specific to UA.

The winning UA team will go to New York City to the SI headquarters to participate in workshops, student panels, networking functions and special attractions of the city for three days this month.

The SI Campus Consultant Program is designed to build on-campus internships that provide college students with a career-building opportunity while enabling Sports Illustrated on Campus to become a part of campus life. SI campus consultants help organize focus groups and other field research, assist in creating and executing marketing plans, and distribute free products, promotions premiums and samples to their classmates.

The University of Alabama, a student-centered research university, is in the midst of a planned, steady enrollment growth with a goal of reaching 28,000 students by 2010. This growth, which is positively impacting the campus and the state's economy, is in keeping with UA's vision to be the university of choice for the best and brightest students. UA, the state's flagship university, is an academic community united in its commitment to enhancing the quality of life for all Alabamians.