Three University students battled it out before Saturday’s football game for a chance to be crowned “America’s Cleanest Comic.”

In a nation-wide contest sponsored by Old Spice High Endurance Body Wash, three students were selected to represent the University by telling their “cleanest” joke.

The three students – Jeremy Kanne, Kirill Baru and Eric Benz – auditioned for the spots Thursday, and then went on to entertain crowds tailgating before the game against Michigan State.

Dressed in bathing suits and bathrobes, the students delivered jokes and one-liners while lathering up with body wash in a portable shower in the middle of the tailgate action.

Kanne, a senior in Engineering and member of campus comedy troupe Spicy Clamato, said he heard about the contest through an e-mail sent out to the group and figured he’d give it a try.

“I wanted to take a shot and see what happened,” he said. “And I wanted to get some free stuff, too.”

Baru, a junior in LAS, said comedy is “huge part” of his life.

A fellow member of Spicy Clamato, as well as sketch comedy group Potted Meat on campus, Baru said he has been doing comedy for seven years, so when the opportunity came along, he couldn’t pass it up.

“There’s really no venue at U of I to do stand up,” he said. “I knew this was a great opportunity.”

Erin Carey, the associate producer of the event, said she felt the contest went “very well.”

“All three guys did a nice job,” she said. “They were a lot of fun and really worked the crowd.”

Carey said that 17 schools across the country are participating in the event. Then, starting Oct. 22, for four weeks, the commercials featuring the comics will run during college football games.

The three University comics are guaranteed three commercials in one week of commercial airtime.

To get the specific airing schedule, Carey said those interested can log on to the Old Spice Web site (www.oldspice.com) after Oct. 1.

Top performances will then be put on the company Web site, and fans will be invited to vote for their favorite comedian. The winner of the “Cleanest Comic” contest will be awarded an all-expense paid trip for two to Las Vegas.

Benz, a sophomore in LAS, said the entire experience was “a great time.”

“Basically, we got to go around making fools of ourselves for four hours,” he said. “Who wouldn’t like that?”

Spicy Clamato performs every Monday at the Courtyard Cafe in the Illini Union at 8pm, and Potted Meat’s next show is Friday, October 7 at 8pm at the Channing-Murray Foundation, on the corner of Oregon and Matthews in Urbana.