1979 College Football Season
Regular season
Originally compiled by Jeff79:
ESPN (which launched in September) televised selected non-ABC games on tape delay. ABC had exclusive rights to live telecasts.
Sat 9/8, #2 Alabama @ Georgia Tech, ABC, 4:30 pm, Keith Jackson, Ara Parseghian, Bill Flemming
Sat 9/15, #9 Notre Dame @ #6 Michigan, ABC, 3 pm (regional), Keith Jackson, Frank Broyles, Bill Flemming
Sat 9/15, Maryland @ Clemson, ABC, 3 pm (regional), Verne Lundquist, Lee Grosscup
Sat 9/15, Louisville @ Miami, ABC, 3 pm (regional), Steve Zabriskie, Steve Davis
Sat 9/15, Grambling @ Alcorn St, ABC, 3 pm (regional), Chris Lincoln, Paul Warfield
Sat 9/22, Brown @ Yale, ABC, 1:30 pm (regional), Keith Jackson, Frank Broyles
Sat 9/22, Kentucky @ Indiana, ABC, 1:30 pm (regional), Bill Flemming, Ara Parseghian
Sat 9/22, #9 Missouri @ Ole Miss, ABC, 1:30 pm (regional), Verne Lundquist, Steve Davis
Sat 9/22, Texas Tech @ Arizona, ABC, 1:30 pm (regional), Steve Zabriskie, Ben Martin
* Sat 9/22, Concordia @ St Olaf, ABC, 1:30 pm (regional), ??, ??
Sat 9/22, San Jose St @ California, ABC, 4:30 pm (west coast), Jim Lampley, Lee Grosscup
Sat 9/29, #18 Penn St @ #6 Nebraska, ABC, 12:30 pm (regional), Al Michaels, Ara Parseghian
Sat 9/29, #12 Florida St @ Virginia Tech, ABC, 12:30 pm (regional), Verne Lundquist, Lee Grosscup
Sat 9/29, Navy @ Illinois, ABC, 12:30 pm (regional), Jim Lampley, Steve Davis
Sat 9/29, Wake Forest @ #16 NC State, ABC, 12:30 pm (regional), Chris Lincoln, Paul Warfield
Sat 9/29, Miami-Ohio @ Central Michigan, ABC, 12:30 pm (regional), Bob Murphy, Rick Forzano
* Sat 9/29, SW Louisiana @ Arkansas St, ABC, 12:30 pm (regional), ??, ??
Sat 9/29, #14 Ohio St @ #17 UCLA, ABC, 4 pm, Keith Jackson, Frank Broyles, Bill Flemming
Sat 10/6, #11 Michigan @ #16 Michigan St, ABC, 1:30 pm (regional), Keith Jackson, Ara Parseghian, Bill Flemming
Sat 10/6, Western Illinois @ Eastern Illinois, ABC, 1:30 pm (regional), Steve Zabriskie, Rick Forzano
Sat 10/6, SW Missouri St @ Lincoln, ABC, 1:30 pm (regional), Chris Lincoln, Steve Davis
Sat 10/13, #3 Oklahoma vs #4 Texas (at Dallas), ABC, 3:30 pm, Keith Jackson, Frank Broyles, Bill Flemming
On 10/13, ABC joined the football game in progress after World Series game 4 ran long.
Sat 10/20, #4 USC @ #9 Notre Dame, ABC, 12:30 pm (regional), Keith Jackson, Frank Broyles, Bill Flemming
* Sat 10/20, Norfolk St @ Virginia Union, ABC, 12:30 pm (regional), ??, Mike McGee
Sat 10/20, #2 Texas vs #10 Arkansas (at Little Rock), ABC, 4 pm (regional), Al Michaels, Ara Parseghian
Sat 10/20, #19 North Carolina @ #15 NC State, ABC, 4 pm (regional), Jim Lampley, Steve Davis
* Sat 10/20, #13 BYU @ Wyoming, ABC, 4 pm (regional), ??, ??
Sat 10/20, Ohio @ Toledo, ABC, 4 pm (regional), Chris Lincoln, Rick Forzano
* Sat 10/20, Grambling @ Jackson St, ABC, 4 pm (regional), ??, ??
Sat 10/27, #6 Houston @ #4 Arkansas, ABC, 12:30 pm (regional), Keith Jackson, Ara Parseghian, Bill Flemming
Sat 10/27, American International @ Springfield, ABC, 12:30 pm (regional), Bob Murphy, Paul Warfield
Sat 10/27, #8 Florida St @ LSU, ABC, 4 pm (regional), Jim Lampley, Frank Broyles
* Sat 10/27, Utah St @ Arizona St, ABC, 4 pm (regional), ??, ??
Sat 10/27, Eastern Kentucky @ Murray St, ABC, 4 pm (regional), Chris Lincoln, Steve Davis
Sat 10/27, #20 Washington @ UCLA, ABC, 6:30 pm (west coast), Verne Lundquist, Lee Grosscup
Sat 11/3, Syracuse @ #12 Pittsburgh, ABC, 12:30 pm (regional), Al Michaels, Frank Broyles
Sat 11/3, #5 Ohio St @ Illinois, ABC, 12:30 pm (regional), Bill Flemming, Steve Davis
Sat 11/3, #14 Wake Forest @ Clemson, ABC, 12:30 pm (regional), Jim Lampley, Mike McGee
Sat 11/3, SMU @ Texas A&M, ABC, 12:30 pm (regional), Verne Lundquist, Lee Grosscup
Sat 11/3, Yale @ Cornell, ABC, 12:30 pm (regional), Steve Zabriskie, Paul Warfield
Sat 11/3, Arizona St @ Stanford, ABC, 4 pm (regional), Keith Jackson, Ara Parseghian
Sat 11/3, Central Michigan @ Toledo, ABC, 4 pm (regional), Chris Lincoln, Rick Forzano
Sat 11/3, Temple @ Hawaii, ABC, 4 pm (regional), Don Drysdale, Ben Martin
Sat 11/10, Syracuse @ Navy, ABC, 12:30 pm (regional), Al Michaels, Ara Parseghian
Sat 11/10, Georgia vs Florida (at Jacksonville), ABC, 12:30 pm (regional), Jim Lampley, Lee Grosscup
Sat 11/10, Minnesota @ Michigan St, ABC, 12:30 pm (regional), Bill Flemming, Steve Davis
Sat 11/10, Missouri @ Iowa St, ABC, 12:30 pm (regional), Verne Lundquist, Ben Martin
Sat 11/10, Franklin & Marshall @ Lebanon Valley, ABC, 12:30 pm (regional), Don Tollefson, John Dockery
Sat 11/10, Connecticut @ Boston University, ABC, 12:30 pm (regional), Chris Lincoln, Paul Warfield
Sat 11/10, Dennison @ Wittenberg, ABC, 12:30 pm (regional), Don Drysdale, Mike McGee
Sat 11/10, #4 USC @ #15 Washington, ABC, 4 pm (regional), Keith Jackson, Frank Broyles
Sat 11/10, Ole Miss @ Tulane, ABC, 4 pm (regional), Steve Zabriskie, Rick Forzano
Sat 11/10, Citadel @ Tenn-Chat, ABC, 4 pm (regional), Bob Murphy, Terry Hanratty
Sat 11/17, #2 Ohio St @ #13 Michigan, ABC, 12:30 pm, Keith Jackson, Ara Parseghian, Bill Flemming
Sat 11/17, Miami @ #1 Alabama, ABC, 4 pm, Al Michaels, Frank Broyles
Fri 11/23, #5 Florida St @ Florida, ABC, 12 pm, Jim Lampley, Lee Grosscup
Fri 11/23, Texas Tech @ #9 Houston, ABC, 3 pm, Verne Lundquist, Steve Davis
Sat 11/24, #3 Nebraska @ #8 Oklahoma, ABC, 12:30 pm (regional), Keith Jackson, Frank Broyles, Bill Flemming
Sat 11/24, Georgia @ Georgia Tech, ABC, 12:30 pm (regional), Chris Lincoln, Ben Martin
Sat 11/24, LSU @ #18 Tulane, ABC, 12:30 pm (regional), Steve Zabriskie, Rick Forzano
* Sat 11/24, Massachusetts @ Boston College, ABC, 12:30 pm (regional), ??,
Sat 11/24, Nevada-Reno @ Northern Arizona, ABC, 12:30 pm (regional), Don Drysdale, Paul Warfield
Sat 11/24, #10 BYU @ San Diego St, ABC, 4 pm, Al Michaels, Ara Parseghian
Sat 12/1, #11 Pittsburgh @ #19 Penn St, ABC, 12:30 pm (regional), Al Michaels, Frank Broyles
Sat 12/1, Mississippi College @ Delaware (D2 semi), ABC, 12:30 pm (regional), Jim Lampley, Mike McGee
* Sat 12/1, Alabama A&M @ Youngstown St (D2 semi), ABC, 12:30 pm (regional), ??, ??
Sat 12/1, Ithaca vs Wittenberg (at Phenix City, AL - D3 final), ABC, 12:30 pm (regional), Verne Lundquist, John Dockery
Sat 12/1, Army vs Navy (at Philadelphia), ABC, 4 pm, Keith Jackson, Ara Parseghian, Bill Flemming
Sat 12/8, Delaware vs Youngstown St (at Albuquerque - D2 final), ABC, 1:30 pm (regional), Bill Flemming, Ara Parseghian
Sat 12/8, Nevada-Reno @ Eastern Kentucky (D1-AA semi), ABC, 1:30 pm (regional), Dave Diles, Frank Broyles
Sat 12/8, Lehigh @ Murray St (D1-AA semi), ABC, 1:30 pm (regional), Verne Lundquist, Steve Davis
Sat 12/15, Eastern Kentucky vs Lehigh (at Orlando - D1-AA final), ABC, 1:30 pm, Bill Flemming, Frank Broyles
Bowl games
Source for most announcing crews is Rudy Martzke's column in the Rochester Democrat and Chronicle, 12/19/79.
December 15
Garden State Bowl, #20 Temple vs California, 1pm, Mizlou syndication, Merle Harmon, Al DeRogatis, Howard David
Palm Bowl (NAIA championship), Texas A&I vs Central St (OK) (at McAllen, TX), 2pm, ESPN, Jerry Gross, Jim Hill
Independence Bowl, Syracuse vs McNeese State, 8:15pm, TBS, Pete Van Wieren, Billy Kilmer Shreveport Times, 12/12/79
December 21
Holiday Bowl, Indiana vs #9 BYU, 9pm, Mizlou syndication, Merle Harmon, Don Perkins, Howard David
December 22
Sun Bowl, #13 Washington vs #11 Texas, 1:30pm, CBS, Pat Summerall, Tom Brookshier, Frank Glieber
Liberty Bowl, Penn State vs #15 Tulane, 2:30pm, ABC, Keith Jackson, Ara Parseghian, Verne Lundquist
Tangerine Bowl, LSU vs Wake Forest, 8pm, Mizlou syndication, Ray Scott, Johnny Unitas, Howard David
December 25
Fiesta Bowl, #10 Pittsburgh vs Arizona, 4pm, NBC, Charlie Jones, Len Dawson, Mike Haffner
December 28
Gator Bowl, North Carolina vs #14 Michigan, 9pm, ABC, Keith Jackson, Frank Broyles, Dave Diles
December 29
Hall of Fame Bowl, Missouri vs #16 South Carolina, 8pm, Mizlou syndication, Ray Scott, Don Perkins, Howard David
December 31
Bluebonnet Bowl, #12 Purdue vs Tennessee, 8pm, Mizlou syndication, Merle Harmon, Don Perkins, Howard David
Peach Bowl, #19 Baylor vs #18 Clemson, 2:30pm, CBS, Gary Bender, Sonny Jurgensen
January 1
Cotton Bowl, #8 Houston vs #7 Nebraska, 2pm, CBS, Lindsey Nelson, Paul Hornung, Frank Glieber
Sugar Bowl, #2 Alabama vs #6 Arkansas, 2pm, ABC, Keith Jackson, Ara Parseghian, Bill Flemming
Rose Bowl, #3 USC vs #1 Ohio State, 5pm, NBC, Dick Enberg, Merlin Olsen, O.J. Simpson
Orange Bowl, #5 Oklahoma vs #4 Florida State, 8pm, NBC, Don Criqui, John Brodie, Bob Trumpy