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.
Saturday, December 15
Garden State Bowl (East Rutherford, NJ), #20 Temple vs California, 1pm, Mizlou syndication, Merle Harmon, Al DeRogatis, Howard David
Palm Bowl (NAIA Championship, McAllen, TX), Texas A&I vs Central St (OK), 2pm, ESPN, Jerry Gross, Jim Hill
Independence Bowl (Shreveport), Syracuse vs McNeese State, 8:15pm, TBS, Pete Van Wieren, Billy Kilmer Shreveport Times, 12/12/79
Friday, December 21
Holiday Bowl (San Diego), Indiana vs #9 BYU, 9pm, Mizlou syndication, Merle Harmon, Don Perkins, Howard David
Saturday, December 22
Sun Bowl (El Paso), #13 Washington vs #11 Texas, 1:30pm, CBS, Pat Summerall, Tom Brookshier, Frank Glieber
Liberty Bowl (Memphis), Penn State vs #15 Tulane, 2:30pm, ABC, Keith Jackson, Ara Parseghian, Verne Lundquist
Tangerine Bowl (Orlando), LSU vs Wake Forest, 8pm, Mizlou syndication, Ray Scott, Johnny Unitas, Howard David
Tuesday, December 25
Fiesta Bowl (Tempe, AZ), #10 Pittsburgh vs Arizona, 4pm, NBC, Charlie Jones, Len Dawson, Mike Haffner
Friday, December 28
Gator Bowl (Jacksonville), North Carolina vs #14 Michigan, 9pm, ABC, Keith Jackson, Frank Broyles, Dave Diles
Saturday, December 29
Hall of Fame Bowl (Birmingham), Missouri vs #16 South Carolina, 8pm, Mizlou syndication, Ray Scott, Don Perkins, Howard David
Monday, December 31
Peach Bowl (Atlanta), #19 Baylor vs #18 Clemson, 2:30pm, CBS, Gary Bender, Sonny Jurgensen
Astro-Bluebonnet Bowl (Houston), #12 Purdue vs Tennessee, 8pm, Mizlou syndication, Merle Harmon, Don Perkins, Howard David
Tuesday, January 1
Cotton Bowl (Dallas), #8 Houston vs #7 Nebraska, 2pm, CBS, Lindsey Nelson (PBP first quarter), Frank Glieber (PBP rest of game), Paul Hornung, Frank Glieber (first quarter only)
Note: Nelson called the first quarter of the Cotton Bowl while dealing with severe laryngitis, with Glieber moving from the sidelines to replace him starting in the second quarter.
Sugar Bowl (New Orleans), #2 Alabama vs #6 Arkansas, 2pm, ABC, Keith Jackson, Ara Parseghian, Bill Flemming
Rose Bowl (Pasadena), #3 USC vs #1 Ohio State, 5pm, NBC, Dick Enberg, Merlin Olsen, O.J. Simpson
Orange Bowl (Miami), #5 Oklahoma vs #4 Florida State, 8pm, NBC, Don Criqui, John Brodie, Bob Trumpy