pigskin, sheepskin and academic

[Prof. R. Sussex]

Can someone please explain the use of "pigskin" and "sheepskin"
("cow's skin"?) in relation to scholarships and academia in the US?
Does "pigskin" refer to students on sports scholarships? There is a
reference at
http://www.missouri.edu/~hdfswww/Graduate_Program/Graduate_Handbook/Honors___Awards/honors___awards.html

Roly Sussex

--
**********************************************************

Roly Sussex
Professor of Applied Language Studies
Department of French, German, Russian, Spanish and Applied Linguistics
School of Languages and Comparative Cultural Studies
The University of Queensland
Brisbane
Queensland 4072
AUSTRALIA

Office: Forgan-Smith Tower 403
Phone:  +61 7 3365 6896
Fax:    +61 7 3365 2798
Email:  r.sussex at mailbox.uq.edu.au
Web:    http://www.arts.uq.edu.au/slccs/profiles/sussex.html
School's website:
        http://www.arts.uq.edu.au/slccs/

Language Talkback ABC radio:
Web:    http://www.cltr.uq.edu.au/languagetalkback/

**********************************************************