1977-78 College Basketball Season
Originally written by Jeff Haggar
Regular Season
Sat 11/12/77, Cuban national team @ Marquette (exhibition), NBC, 4 pm, Dick Enberg, Billy Packer, Al McGuire
Sat 12/31/77, #4 Notre Dame vs #1 Kentucky (at Louisville), NBC, 4 pm, Dick Stockton, Billy Packer, Al McGuire
Sun 1/8/78, Minnesota @ Michigan, NBC, 2 pm (regional), Merle Harmon, Fred Taylor
Sun 1/8/78, Mississippi St @ Alabama, NBC, 2 pm (regional), John Ferguson, Joe Dean
Sun 1/8/78, Colorado @ Iowa St, NBC, 2 pm (regional), Fred White, Gary Thompson
* Sun 1/8/78, #3 Houston @ Arkansas, NBC, 2 pm (regional), ??, ??
Sun 1/8/78, St. Bonaventure @ Virginia Tech, NBC, 2 pm (regional), Bill O'Donnell, Larry Conley
Sun 1/8/78, #16 Holy Cross @ Army, NBC, 2 pm (regional), Marv Albert, Bucky Waters
* Sun 1/8/78, #7 UCLA @ Washington St, NBC, 6 pm (west coast), ??, Tom Hawkins
Sat 1/14/78, #5 Notre Dame vs St. Bonaventure (at Rochester), NBC, 4 pm (regional), Marv Albert, Bucky Waters
* Sat 1/14/78, BYU @ Colorado St, NBC, 4 pm (regional), ??, ??
* Sat 1/14/78, UNCC @ Jacksonville, NBC, 4 pm (regional), Bill O'Donnell, ??
Sat 1/14/78, LSU @ #1 Kentucky, NBC, 4 pm (regional), John Ferguson, Joe Dean
Sat 1/14/78, #12 Michigan St @ Northwestern, NBC, 4 pm (regional), Merle Harmon, Fred Taylor
* Sat 1/14/78, Oklahoma St @ Missouri, NBC, 4 pm (regional), ??, ??
* Sat 1/14/78, Texas Tech @ Rice, NBC, 4 pm (regional), ??, ??
* Sat 1/14/78, Washington @ Stanford, NBC, 7 pm (west coast), ??, ??
Sun 1/15/78, #11 UNLV @ #4 Marquette, NBC, 1 pm, Curt Gowdy, Billy Packer
Sun 1/15/78, Soviet national team @ UCLA (exhibition), NBC, 3 pm, Dick Enberg, Al McGuire
* Sat 1/21/78, Arizona St @ BYU, NBC, 4 pm (regional), ??, ??
* Sat 1/21/78, Oklahoma @ Colorado, NBC, 4 pm (regional), ??, ??
* Sat 1/21/78, South Carolina @ Davidson, NBC, 4 pm (regional), ??, ??
* Sat 1/21/78, #17 Duke @ La Salle, NBC, 4 pm (regional), ??, ??
Sat 1/21/78, Indiana @ Purdue, NBC, 4 pm (regional), Merle Harmon, Fred Taylor
Sat 1/21/78, #1 Kentucky @ Mississippi St, NBC, 4 pm (regional), John Ferguson, Joe Dean
* Sat 1/21/78, Texas A&M @ Texas Tech, NBC, 4 pm (regional), ??, ??
Sat 1/21/78, Oregon St @ Oregon, NBC, 7 pm (west coast), Ross Porter, Tom Hawkins
Sun 1/22/78, #3 UCLA @ #7 Notre Dame, NBC, 4 pm, Dick Enberg, Billy Packer, Al McGuire
Sat 1/28/78, Alabama @ Auburn, NBC, 4 pm (regional), John Ferguson, Joe Dean
* Sat 1/28/78, Oklahoma St @ Nebraska, NBC, 4 pm (regional), ??, ??
* Sat 1/28/78, Utah @ #14 New Mexico, NBC, 4 pm (regional), ??, ??
* Sat 1/28/78, William & Mary @ Old Dominion, NBC, 4 pm (regional), ??, ??
* Sat 1/28/78, Rice @ Texas A&M, NBC, 4 pm (regional), ??, ??
Sat 1/28/78, #10 Syracuse @ Rutgers, NBC, 4 pm (regional), Marv Albert, Bucky Waters
Sat 1/28/78, Ohio St @ Illinois, NBC, 4 pm (regional), Merle Harmon, Fred Taylor
Sat 1/28/78, Washington St @ Washington, NBC, 7 pm (west coast), Ross Porter, Tom Hawkins
* Sun 1/29/78, Maryland @ #5 Notre Dame, NBC, 4 pm, Dick Enberg, Billy Packer, Al McGuire
* Sat 2/4/78, The Citadel @ Marshall, NBC, 4 pm (regional), ??, ??
Sat 2/4/78, LSU @ Georgia, NBC, 4 pm (regional), John Ferguson, Joe Dean
* Sat 2/4/78, Iowa @ Wisconsin, NBC, 4 pm (regional), ??, ??
* Sat 2/4/78, #8 Kansas @ Oklahoma, NBC, 4 pm (regional), ??, ??
* Sat 2/4/78, TCU @ #12 Texas, NBC, 4 pm (regional), ??, ??
* Sat 2/4/78, UTEP @ Wyoming, NBC, 4 pm (regional), ??, ??
Sat 2/4/78, Rhode Island @ #16 Providence, NBC, 4 pm (regional), Marv Albert, Bucky Waters
Sat 2/4/78, Stanford @ USC, NBC, 7 pm (west coast), Ross Porter, Tom Hawkins
Sun 2/5/78, #3 Marquette @ South Carolina, NBC, 4 pm, Dick Stockton, Billy Packer, Al McGuire
* Sat 2/11/78, Arizona @ UTEP, NBC, 2:30 pm (regional), ??, ??
* Sat 2/11/78, SMU @ Baylor, NBC, 2:30 pm (regional), ??, ??
* Sat 2/11/78, Furman @ South Carolina, NBC, 2:30 pm (regional), Bill O'Donnell, ??
Sat 2/11/78, Minnesota @ Iowa, NBC, 2:30 pm (regional). Merle Harmon, Fred Taylor
* Sat 2/11/78, #8 Kansas @ Kansas St, NBC, 2:30 pm (regional), ??, ??
Sat 2/11/78, Vanderbilt @ Ole Miss, NBC, 2:30 pm (regional), John Ferguson, Joe Dean
Sat 2/11/78, #18 Syracuse @ West Virginia, NBC, 2:30 pm (regional), Marv Albert, Bucky Waters
* Sat 2/11/78, Washington St @ Oregon St, NBC, 6:30 pm (west coast), ??, ??
Sun 2/12/78, #7 North Carolina @ #20 Providence, NBC, 1 pm (regional), Dick Stockton, Billy Packer, Al McGuire
Sun 2/12/78, #11 DePaul @ #4 Notre Dame, NBC, 1 pm (regional), Merle Harmon, Allie McGuire
Sat 2/18/78, Alabama @ Vanderbilt, NBC, 4 pm (regional), John Ferguson, Joe Dean
* Sat 2/18/78, Utah @ Arizona St, NBC, 4 pm (regional), ??, ??
* Sat 2/18/78, Michigan @ Indiana, NBC, 4 pm (regional), ??, ??
* Sat 2/18/78, Nebraska @ Missouri, NBC, 4 pm (regional), ??, ??
* Sat 2/18/78, #7 Notre Dame @ South Carolina, NBC, 4 pm (regional), ??, Larry Conley
Sat 2/18/78, #16 Syracuse @ St. John’s, NBC, 4 pm (regional), Marv Albert, Bucky Waters
* Sat 2/18/78, #1 Arkansas @ Houston, NBC, 4 pm (regional), ??, ??
* Sat 2/18/78, Oregon @ California, NBC, 7 pm (west coast), Ross Porter, ??
Sun 2/19/78, #9 Louisville @ Minnesota, NBC, 4 pm, Dick Enberg, Billy Packer, Al McGuire
Sat 2/25/78, #2 Kentucky @ Tennessee, NBC, 2 pm (regional), John Ferguson, Joe Dean
* Sat 2/25/78, St. John’s @ #11 Providence, NBC, 2 pm (regional), ??, ??
Sat 2/25/78, Wisconsin @ Purdue, NBC, 2 pm (regional), Merle Harmon, Fred Taylor
* Sat 2/25/78, Creighton @ Southern Illinois, NBC, 4 pm (regional), ??, ??
* Sat 2/25/78, #18 Georgetown @ Holy Cross, NBC, 4 pm (regional), ??, ??
* Sat 2/25/78, Illinois @ #10 Michigan St, NBC, 4 pm (regional), ??, ??
* Sat 2/25/78, Ole Miss @ LSU, NBC, 4 pm (regional), ??, Larry Conley
* Sat 2/25/78, UTEP @ Utah, NBC, 4 pm (regional), ??, ??
* Sat 2/25/78, Texas A&M @ Texas Tech (SWC 1st), NBC, 4 pm (regional), ??, ??
* Sat 2/25/78, Kansas St @ Oklahoma, NBC, 4 pm (regional), ??, ??
Sat 2/25/78, Nevada @ San Francisco, NBC, 5 pm (west coast), Monte Moore, Steve Grad
Sat 2/25/78, #3 UCLA @ Oregon, NBC, 7 pm (west coast), Ross Porter, Tom Hawkins
Sun 2/26/78, #1 Marquette @ #9 Notre Dame, NBC, 4 pm (regional), Dick Enberg, Billy Packer, Al McGuire
Sun 2/26/78, California @ Washington, NBC, 7 pm (west coast), Ross Porter, Tom Hawkins
Sat 3/4/78, UNLV @ #1 Kentucky, NBC, 1 pm, Curt Gowdy, Billy Packer
Sat 3/4/78, #15 Duke vs Wake Forest (at Greensboro - ACC final), ABC, 3 pm, Keith Jackson, Bill Russell, Jim Lampley
* Sat 3/4/78, Central Michigan @ Toledo, NBC, 4:30 pm (regional), ??, ??
Sat 3/4/78, Tennessee @ Florida, NBC, 4:30 pm (regional), John Ferguson, Joe Dean
* Sat 3/4/78, #9 Michigan St @ Minnesota, NBC, 4:30 pm (regional), ??, ??
* Sat 3/4/78, Wyoming @ #8 New Mexico, NBC, 4:30 pm (regional), ??, ??
Sat 3/4/78, St. Bonaventure vs VCU (at Rochester - ECAC Upstate-Southern final), NBC, 4:30 pm (regional), Marv Albert, Bucky Waters
Sat 3/4/78, #2 UCLA @ USC, NBC, 7 pm (west coast), Ross Porter, Tom Hawkins
Sun 3/5/78, Michigan @ #2 UCLA, NBC, 4 pm, Dick Enberg, Al McGuire
- For this season, NBC added Al McGuire to the #1 team. Early in the season, NBC stationed McGuire in a remote location and went to him only for periodic commentary. Eventually, NBC moved McGuire courtside to form a three-man announcer team.
- Dick Stockton filled in for Enberg on four games. (Enberg called the AFC title game in Denver on 1/1 and had a boxing assignment on 2/5.)
- ABC televised the ACC tournament final as part of Wide World of Sports. This was the first time Duke was ever on national TV.
- CD Chesley (who controlled the ACC rights) wanted NBC to televise some ACC conference games as part of its national package as it had the previous few years. However, NBC wanted to feature intersectional games. This ticked off Chesley who sold the rights to the ACC tournament final to ABC and also explains the absence of ACC home games on the above NBC schedule.
NCAA Tournament
Sat 3/11 (first round) - doubleheader (all regionalized)
Kentucky vs Florida St (at Knoxville), NBC, 2 pm, Dick Enberg, Billy Packer
Michigan St vs Providence (at Indianapolis), NBC, 2 pm, Merle Harmon, Allie McGuire
Arkansas vs Weber St (at Eugene), NBC, 2 pm, Curt Gowdy, Al McGuire
Western Ky vs Syracuse (at Knoxville), NBC, 4 pm, Jim Thacker, Billy Packer
San Francisco vs North Carolina (at Tempe), NBC, 4 pm, Jay Randolph, Gary Thompson
UCLA vs Kansas (at Eugene), NBC, 4 pm, Curt Gowdy, Al McGuire
other NCAA Productions games
Miami-Ohio vs Marquette (at Indianapolis), NCAAProd, 12 pm, Merle Harmon, Fred Taylor
CS Fullerton vs New Mexico (at Tempe), NCAAProd, 6 pm, Connie Alexander, Bill Strannigan
Sun 3/12 (first round) - doubleheader (all regionalized)
Indiana vs Furman (at Charlotte), NBC, 2 pm, Dick Stockton, Billy Packer
Villanova vs La Salle (at Philadelphia), NBC, 2 pm, Marv Albert, Bucky Waters
Louisville vs St John's (at Tulsa), NBC, 2 pm, Dick Enberg, Al McGuire
Duke vs Rhode Island (at Charlotte), NBC, 4 pm, Dick Stockton, Billy Packer
Penn vs St Bonaventure (at Philadelphia), NBC, 4 pm, Marv Albert, Bucky Waters
Notre Dame vs Houston (at Tulsa), NBC, 4 pm, Dick Enberg, Al McGuire
other NCAA Productions games
Utah vs Missouri (at Wichita), NCAAProd, 3:30 pm, Ron Jacober, Frank Fallon
DePaul vs Creighton (at Wichita), NCAAProd, 6 pm, Ron Jacober, Frank Fallon
Thu 3/16 (regional semifinals) - local
Michigan St vs Western Ky (at Dayton), NCAAProd, 7 pm, John Ferguson, Merle Harmon
Arkansas vs UCLA (at Albuquerque), NCAAProd, 9 pm, Connie Alexander, Bill Strannigan
Kentucky vs Miami-Ohio (at Dayton), NCAAProd, 9:30 pm, John Ferguson, Merle Harmon
CS Fullerton vs San Francisco (at Albuquerque), NCAAProd, 11:30 pm, Connie Alexander, Bill Strannigan
Fri 3/17 (regional semifinals) - local
* Villanova vs Indiana (at Providence), NCAAProd, 7 pm, ??, Fred Taylor
DePaul vs Louisville (at Lawrence), NCAAProd, 8 pm, Jay Randolph, Gary Thompson
* Duke vs Penn (at Providence), NCAAProd, 9:30 pm, ??, Fred Taylor
Notre Dame vs Utah (at Lawrence), NCAAProd, 10:30 pm, Jay Randolph, Gary Thompson
Sat 3/18 (regional finals)
Kentucky vs Michigan St (at Dayton), NBC, 2 pm, Curt Gowdy, Billy Packer, Bryant Gumbel
Arkansas vs CS Fullerton (at Albuquerque), NBC, 4 pm, Dick Enberg, Al McGuire
Sun 3/19 (regional finals)
Duke vs Villanova (at Providence), NBC, 2 pm, Curt Gowdy, Billy Packer
Notre Dame vs DePaul (at Lawrence), NBC, 4 pm, Dick Enberg, Al McGuire
Sat 3/25 (Final Four)
Duke vs Notre Dame (at St. Louis), NBC, 2 pm, Curt Gowdy, Billy Packer, Al McGuire, Bryant Gumbel, Dick Enberg
Kentucky vs Arkansas (at St. Louis), NBC, 4 pm, Dick Enberg, Billy Packer, Al McGuire, Bryant Gumbel, Curt Gowdy
Mon 3/27 (consolation/championship)
Arkansas vs Notre Dame (at St. Louis), NCAAProd, 6:30 pm, Jay Randolph, Gary Thompson
Kentucky vs Duke (at St. Louis), NBC, 9 pm, Dick Enberg, Billy Packer, Al McGuire, Curt Gowdy
* any help appreciated on missing announcers
- For the first time, NBC aired all four regional finals games nationally, moving two of the games to Sunday.
- NBC split up the analysts from its #1 announcer team for the first 2 weekends of the tournament.
- Gowdy served in a host role for the title game.
- NCAA Productions covered all games not televised by NBC.
NIT
Tue 3/21/78, Texas vs NC State (at New York - final), Mizlou, 8 pm, Don Criqui, Bucky Waters, Howard David
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