1977–78 Liga Alef
Second and third placed clubs, Maccabi Herzliya and Hapoel Beit She'an from the North division, with Hapoel Lod and Hapoel Bat Yam from the South division, were also promoted, as both Liga Leumit and Liga Artzit expanded from 14 to 16 clubs each.


1977–78 Liga Artzit
The 1977–78 Liga Artzit season saw Bnei Yehuda win the title and win promotion to Liga Leumit. Maccabi Petah Tikva, Hapoel Kfar Saba and Hapoel Rishon LeZion were also promoted as Liga Leumit expanded from 14 to 16 clubs.


1977–78 Liga Artzit
Hapoel Beit Shemesh and Maccabi Sha'arayim were both relegated to Liga Alef.


1977–78 Liga Bet
The 1977–78 Liga Bet season saw Hapoel Kiryat Ata, Hapoel Givat Olga, Hapoel Kafr Qasim and Maccabi Kiryat Gat win their regional divisions and promoted to Liga Alef.


1977–78 Liga Bet
Second placed clubs, Maccabi Ahi Nazareth, Hapoel Givat Haim, Maccabi Lazarus Holon and Hapoel Dimona were also promoted, as both Liga Leumit and Liga Artzit were expanded to 16 clubs in each league.


1977–78 Liga Dalet
The 1977–78 Liga Dalet season saw 102 clubs competing in 8 regional divisions for promotion to Liga Gimel.


1977–78 Liga Dalet
Bnei Tarshiha, Hapoel Bu'eine, Hapoel Kafr Manda, Hapoel Muawiya, Hapoel Pardesiya, Hapoel Amishav, Beitar Yavne and Hapoel Bnei Shimon won their regional divisions and promoted to Liga Gimel.


1977–78 Liga Dalet
Over the summer, 14 further clubs were promoted to Liga Gimel due to vacancies created in the upper leagues.


1977–78 Liga Española de Baloncesto
The 1977–78 season was the 22nd season of the Liga Nacional de Baloncesto. Joventut Badalona won the title.


1977–78 Liga Gimel
The 1977–78 Liga Gimel season saw 108 clubs competing in 8 regional divisions for promotion to Liga Bet.


1977–78 Liga Gimel
Hapoel Afula, Maccabi Shefa-'Amr, Hapoel Ein Mahil, Maccabi Or Akiva, Hapoel Tira, Hapoel Azor, Maccabi Shikun HaMizrah and Maccabi Be'er Sheva won their regional divisions and promoted to Liga Bet.


1977–78 Liga Gimel
Maccabi Acre, Hapoel Daliyat al-Karmel, Maccabi Bat Yam and Hapoel Bnei Lakhish were also promoted, as both Liga Leumit and Liga Artzit expanded from 14 to 16 clubs each.


1977–78 Liga Leumit
The 1977–78 Liga Leumit season saw Maccabi Netanya win the title, while Hakoah Ramat Gan and Hapoel Acre were relegated to Liga Artzit. David Lavi of Maccabi Netanya was the league's top scorer with 17 goals.


1977–78 Liga Leumit
The following season, the league was expanded to 16 clubs.


1977–78 Liga Nacional de Hockey Hielo season
The 1977–78 Superliga Espanola de Hockey Hielo season was the sixth season of the Superliga Espanola de Hockey Hielo, the top level of ice hockey in Spain. Seven teams participated in the league, and CH Casco Viejo Bilbao won the championship.


1977–78 Liverpool F.C. season
It was to be a season of contrasts for Liverpool F.C. as they retained the European Cup, following a 1–0 victory against Club Brugge in the final at Wembley in London and winning the European Super Cup by beating Hamburg, who included Kevin Keegan in their side Seven-One on aggregate with a Six-Nil Second Leg win at Anfield.


1977–78 Liverpool F.C. season
However, in both the Football League and the Football League Cup they would end as runners-up to newly promoted Nottingham Forest managed by Brian Clough. The replay of the Football League Cup Final would prove very controversial with a penalty which decided the match, followed by a disallowed goal when it was adjudged that Terry McDermott handled the ball.


1977–78 Liverpool F.C. season
Liverpool manager Bob Paisley bought Kenny Dalglish from Celtic for £440,000, a record transfer fee between British clubs. Dalglish went on to score 20 goals in the league and 31 in all competitions, including the winner in the European Cup Final. Realising that Ian Callaghan was nearing the end of his career at Liverpool, the club also spent £352,000 on Graeme Souness from Middlesbrough.


1977–78 Liverpool F.C. season
However, Callaghan's final season started with a call up to the England squad, and would play in the match against Switzerland on 7 September 1977 under new manager Ron Greenwood. It was to be his first cap since playing in the 1966 FIFA World Cup finals against France.


1977–78 Liverpool F.C. season
Terry McDermott's emergence would also see him make his debut in the same match with Ray Clemence, Phil Neal, Emlyn Hughes and Ray Kennedy also playing as well. Kevin Keegan also played in the match, making it seven current and former Liverpool players in that game.


1977–78 Liverpool F.C. season, Football League Cup, Final
Team:1  Chris Woods  (GK)2  Viv Anderson3  Frank Clark4  John McGovern  (c)5  Larry Lloyd6  Kenny Burns7  Martin O'Neill8  Ian Bowyer9  Peter Withe10  Tony Woodcock11  John RobertsonSubstitute:12  John O'Hare


1977–78 Liverpool F.C. season, Football League Cup, Final
Match rules:90 minutes.30 minutes extra-time if necessary. Match replayed if scores still level. One named substitute.


1977–78 Liverpool F.C. season, Football League Cup, Final
Team:1  Ray Clemence (GK)2  Phil Neal3  Tommy Smith4  Phil Thompson5  Ray Kennedy  91'6  Emlyn Hughes (c)7   Kenny Dalglish8  Jimmy Case9  Steve Heighway10  Terry McDermott11  Ian CallaghanSubstitute:12  David Fairclough  91'


1977–78 Liverpool F.C. season, Football League Cup, Final Replay
Team:1  Chris Woods  (GK)2  Viv Anderson3  Frank Clark4  John O'Hare5  Larry Lloyd6  Kenny Burns (c)7   Martin O'Neill8  Ian Bowyer9  Peter Withe10  Tony Woodcock11  John RobertsonSubstitute12


1977–78 Liverpool F.C. season, Football League Cup, Final Replay
Match rules:90 minutes.30 minutes extra-time if necessary. Match replayed if scores still level. One named substitute.


1977–78 Liverpool F.C. season, Football League Cup, Final Replay
Team:1  Ray Clemence (GK)2  Phil Neal3  Ray Kennedy4  Tommy Smith5  Phil Thompson6  Emlyn Hughes (c)7   Kenny Dalglish8  Jimmy Case  64'9  Steve Heighway10  Terry McDermott11  Ian CallaghanSubstitute12  David Fairclough  64'


1977–78 London Spartan League
The 1977–78 London Spartan League season was the 60th in the history of Spartan League, and the 3rd as London Spartan League. The league consisted of 32 teams.


1977–78 London Spartan League, Premier Division
The previous season Division One changed name to Premier Division before this season. The division featured 16 teams, 12 from last season and 4 new teams, all promoted from last season's Division Two:


1977–78 London Spartan League, Senior Division
The previous season Division Two changed name to Senior Division before this season. The division featured 16 teams, 11 from last season and 5 new teams:


1977–78 Los Angeles Kings season
The 1977–78 Los Angeles Kings season was the Kings' 11th season in the National Hockey League.


1977–78 Los Angeles Kings season, Regular season, Final standings
Note: GP = Games played, W = Wins, L = Losses, T = Ties, Pts = Points, GF = Goals for, GA = Goals against


1977–78 Los Angeles Kings season, Regular season, Final standings
Note: Teams that qualified for the playoffs are highlighted in bold.


1977–78 Los Angeles Kings season, Transactions
The Kings were involved in the following transactions during the 1977–78 season.


1977–78 Los Angeles Kings season, Draft picks
Los Angeles's draft picks at the 1977 NHL amateur draft held at the Mount Royal Hotel in Montreal, Quebec.


1977–78 Los Angeles Lakers season
The 1977–78 NBA season was the Lakers' 30th season in the NBA and 18th season in Los Angeles.


1977–78 Luxembourg National Division
The 1977–78 Luxembourg National Division was the 64th season of top level association football in Luxembourg.


1977–78 Luxembourg National Division, Overview
It was performed in 12 teams, and FC Progrès Niedercorn won the championship.


1977–78 Macedonian Republic League
The 1977–78 Macedonian Republic League was the 34th since its establishment. FK Tikvesh won their 2nd championship title.


1977–78 Magyar Kupa
The 1977–78 Magyar Kupa (English: Hungarian Cup) was the 38th season of Hungary's annual knock-out cup football competition.


1977–78 Maltese Premier League
The 1977–78 Maltese First Division was the 63rd season of top-tier football in Malta. It was contested by 10 teams, and Valletta F.C. won the championship.


1977–78 Manchester United F.C. season
The 1977–78 season was Manchester United's 76th season in the Football League, and their third consecutive season in the top division of English football. It was their first season under the management of Dave Sexton, following the dismissal of Tommy Docherty in the close season after he made public his love affair with the wife of the club's physiotherapist.


1977–78 Manchester United F.C. season
As FA Cup holders they contested the Charity Shield and were joint holders with league champions Liverpool, but failed to make an impact in Europe or on either of the domestic cups and finished only 10th in the league - lower than in either of their previous two seasons since promotion.


1977–78 Manchester United F.C. season
They were in fact expelled from the Cup Winners' Cup after their fans ran riot in France after a first round first leg tie with Saint-Etienne, although they were reinstated to the competition on appeal but had to play the return leg at a neutral venue.


1977–78 Manchester United F.C. season
Winger Gordon Hill, who was transferred to Derby County (then managed by Tommy Docherty) at the end of the season, bowed out of Old Trafford in style as the club's top scorer once again with 17 goals in the league and 19 in all competitions.


1977–78 Mansfield Town F.C. season
The 1977–78 season was Mansfield Town's 41st season in the Football League and 1st and to date only season in the Second Division, they finished in 22nd position with 31 points seven points away from safety.


1977–78 Marquette Warriors men's basketball team
The 1977–78 Marquette Warriors men's basketball team represented the Marquette University in the 1977–78 season. The Warriors finished the regular season with a record of 24–4. The Warriors would receive an at-large bid into the NCAA Tournament where they would fall in the first round to Miami (OH).


1977–78 Mersin İdmanyurdu season
Mersin İdmanyurdu (also Mersin İdman Yurdu, Mersin İY, or MİY) Sports Club; located in Mersin, east Mediterranean coast of Turkey in 1977–78. The 1977–78 season was the sixth season of Mersin İdmanyurdu (MİY) football team in First League, the first level division in Turkey. They have relegated to second division at the end of the season. It was the second relegation from first division after 1973–74. Team's bad performance continued in Cup matches as well.


1977–78 Mersin İdmanyurdu season
The team started the season with coach Kadri Aytaç. However Aytaç left the club and became the manager of Rizespor after the 7th round. Trainers Seyfi Alanya and Turgut Kafkas managed the team for the rest of the first half games. Orhan Yüksel became the coach at the start of the second half of the season. Yüksel completed the season.


1977–78 Mersin İdmanyurdu season, Pre-season
The team has prepared for the season at Uludağ. Preparation games:


1977–78 Mersin İdmanyurdu season, 1977–78 First League participation
First League was played with 16 teams in its 21st season, 1977–78. Last two teams relegated to Second League 1978–79. Mersin İY finished 16th with 3 wins and relegated to second division next year. It was worst season of the team in First League.


1977–78 Mersin İdmanyurdu season, 1977–78 First League participation, League table
Mersin İY's league performance in First League in 1977–78 season is shown in the following table.


1977–78 Mersin İdmanyurdu season, 1977–78 First League participation, League table
Won, drawn and lost points are 2, 1 and 0. F belongs to MİY and A belongs to corresponding team for both home and away matches.


1977–78 Mersin İdmanyurdu season, 1977–78 First League participation, Results by round
Results of games MİY played in 1977–78 First League by rounds:


1977–78 Mersin İdmanyurdu season, 1977–78 Turkish Cup participation
1977–78 Turkish Cup was played for the 16th season as Türkiye Kupası by 89 teams. First and second elimination rounds were played in one-leg elimination system. Third and fourth elimination rounds and finals were played in two-legs elimination system. Mersin İdmanyurdu participated in 1977–78 Turkish Cup and eliminated at round 3 by Sivasspor. Sivasspor was eliminated at round 4. Trabzonspor won the Cup for the 2nd time.


1977–78 Mersin İdmanyurdu season, 1977–78 Turkish Cup participation, Cup track
The drawings and results Mersin İdmanyurdu (MİY) followed in 1977–78 Turkish Cup are shown in the following table.


1977–78 Mersin İdmanyurdu season, 1977–78 Turkish Cup participation, Game details
Mersin İdmanyurdu (MİY) 1977–78 Turkish Cup game reports is shown in the following table. Kick off times are in EET and EEST.


1977–78 Mersin İdmanyurdu season, 1977–78 squad
Stats are counted for 1977–78 First League matches and 1977–78 Turkish Cup (Türkiye Kupası) matches. In the team rosters five substitutes were allowed to appear, two of whom were substitutable. Only the players who appeared in game rosters were included and listed in the order of appearance.


1977–78 Mexican Primera División season
Statistics of the Primera División de México for the 1977–78 season.


1977–78 Mexican Primera División season, Overview
This season was contested by 20 teams, and UANL won the championship.


1977–78 Mexican Primera División season, Relegation Playoff
Unión de Curtidores won 4-2 on aggregate. Atlas was relegated to Segunda División.


1977–78 Mexican Segunda División season
The 1977–78 Segunda División was the 29th season of the Mexican Segunda División. The season started on 8 July 1977 and concluded on 7 May 1978. It was won by Zacatepec.


1977–78 Mexican Segunda División season
Starting this season, 3 points were awarded for victory with more than two goals difference.


1977–78 Michigan State Spartans men's basketball team
The 1977–78 Michigan State Spartans men's basketball team represented Michigan State University in the 1977–78 NCAA Division I men's basketball season as members of the Big Ten Conference. They played their home games at Jenison Fieldhouse in East Lansing, Michigan and were coached by second-year head coach, Jud Heathcote. MSU finished the season 25–5, 15–3 in Big Ten play to win the Big Ten Championship. They received the conference's automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament where they defeated Providence and Western Kentucky before losing to Kentucky in the Mideast Regional Final. The team was led by freshman Earvin "Magic" Johnson and Gregory Kelser.


1977–78 Michigan State Spartans men's basketball team, Previous season
The Spartans finished the 1976–77 season with a record of 10–17, 7–11 to finish in fifth place in Big Ten play.


1977–78 Michigan Wolverines men's basketball team
The 1977–78 Michigan Wolverines men's basketball team represented the University of Michigan in intercollegiate college basketball during the 1977–78 season. The team played its home games in the Crisler Arena in Ann Arbor, Michigan, and was a member of the Big Ten Conference. Under the direction of head coach Johnny Orr, the team finished tied for fourth in the Big Ten Conference. The team failed to earn an invitation to either the 1978 National Invitation Tournament or the 1978 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament. The team was ranked in the Associated Press Top Twenty-Five Poll for four of the season's seventeen weeks, reaching a number 8 ranking on December 6, 1977, and falling out after the December 20, 1977, poll.


1977–78 Michigan Wolverines men's basketball team, Team players drafted into the NBA
Six players from this team were selected in the NBA Draft. Hubbard accumulated no statistics.


1977–78 Midland Football Combination
The 1977–78 Midland Football Combination season was the 41st in the history of Midland Football Combination, a football competition in England.


1977–78 Midland Football Combination, Division One
Division One featured 17 clubs which competed in the division last season along with three new clubs:


1977–78 Midland Football League
The 1977–78 Midland Football League was the 78th in the history of the Midland Football League, a football competition in England.


1977–78 Midland Football League, Premier Division
The Premier Division featured 18 clubs which competed in the previous season, no new clubs joined the division this season.


1977–78 Midland Football League, Division One
Division One featured 15 clubs which competed in the previous season, along with three new clubs:


1977–78 Milwaukee Bucks season
The 1977–78 NBA season was the Bucks' tenth season in the NBA. The Bucks had drafted Marques Johnson from UCLA in the 1977 NBA Draft.


1977–78 Minnesota North Stars season
The 1977–78 Minnesota North Stars season was the 11th season for the North Stars. The North Stars were in financial trouble, and at season's end had the worst record in the league at 18–53–9. In June 1978, with both the North Stars and the Cleveland Barons on the verge of folding, the league approved an arrangement in which the two teams were permitted to merge under the ownership of Barons owner George Gund III. The merged franchise continued as the Minnesota North Stars, but assumed the Barons' old place in the Adams Division.


1977–78 Minnesota North Stars season, Player statistics, Skaters
Note: GP = Games played; G = Goals; A = Assists; Pts = Points; +/- = Plus/minus; PIM = Penalty minutes


1977–78 Minnesota North Stars season, Player statistics, Goaltenders
Note: GP = Games played; TOI = Time on ice (minutes); W = Wins; L = Losses; OT = Overtime losses; GA = Goals against; SO = Shutouts; SV% = Save percentage; GAA = Goals against average


1977–78 Montana Grizzlies basketball team
The 1977–78 Montana Grizzlies basketball team represented the University of Montana during the 1977–78 NCAA Division I basketball season. Charter members of the Big Sky Conference, the Grizzlies were led by second-year head coach Jim Brandenburg and played their home games on campus at Adams Field House in Missoula, Montana.


1977–78 Montana Grizzlies basketball team
They finished the regular season at 19–7, with a 12–2 record in conference to win the title and host the four-team Big Sky tournament. The Grizzlies defeated fourth-seed Boise State in the semifinal, then were upset by third-seed Weber State in the final in overtime. Montana had swept the season series with Weber.


1977–78 Montana Grizzlies basketball team
The Grizzlies were led on the court by senior guard Micheal Ray Richardson, on the all-conference team for a third consecutive year; junior forward Allan Nielsen was on the second team. An honorable mention All-American, Richardson was the fourth overall selection of the 1978 NBA draft and a four-time NBA All-Star.


1977–78 Montana State Bobcats men's basketball team
The 1977–78 Montana State Bobcats men's basketball team represented Montana State University during the 1977–78 NCAA Division I men's basketball season.


1977–78 Montenegrin Republic League
The 1977–78 Montenegrin Republic League was the 33rd season of Montenegrin Republic League, the third tier of the Yugoslav football league system. The season started in August 1977 and finished in May 1978 with Jedinstvo being champions.


1977–78 Montenegrin Republic League, Summary
Sixteen teams participated in the 1977-78 season. Among the clubs which didn't play in the previous season were Jedinstvo (relegated from Yugoslav Second League) and three best teams from Regional leagues - Ivangrad, Štampar and Zabjelo.


1977–78 Montenegrin Republic League, Summary
Jedinstvo won the title with a gap of five points over second place, OFK Petrovac. After the decision of reducing number of participants in 1978–79, the league saw five teams relegated to the bottom tier as the league was reduced to 14 teams.


1977–78 Montenegrin Republic League, Higher leagues
In the 1977-78 season, three Montenegrin teams played in the higher leagues of SFR Yugoslavia. Budućnost participated in 1977–78 Yugoslav First League, with two other teams (Sutjeska and Lovćen) participated in 1977–78 Yugoslav Second League.


1977–78 Montreal Canadiens season
The 1977–78 Montreal Canadiens season was the team's 69th season. The Canadiens won their third straight Stanley Cup, and 21st overall.


1977–78 Montreal Canadiens season, Regular season, Season standings
Note: GP = Games played, W = Wins, L = Losses, T = Ties, Pts = Points, GF = Goals for, GA = Goals against


1977–78 Montreal Canadiens season, Regular season, Season standings
Note: Teams that qualified for the playoffs are highlighted in bold.


1977–78 Montreal Canadiens season, Transactions, 1978 Montreal Canadiens Stanley Cup Champions
Ken Dryden, Serge Savard, Guy Lapointe, Larry Robinson, Bill Nyrop, Pierre Bouchard, Jim Roberts, Rick Chartraw, Brian Engblom, Gilles Lupien, Guy Lafleur, Steve Shutt, Pierre Larouche, Yvan Cournoyer, Jacques Lemaire, Yvon Lambert, Bob Gainey, Doug Jarvis, Doug Risebrough, Murray Wilson, Mario Tremblay, Rejean Houle, Pierre Mondou, Mike Polich, Michel Larocque, Scotty Bowman (coach), Sam Pollock (general manager), Eddy Palchak, Pierre Meilleur (trainers)


1977–78 Moroccan Throne Cup
The 1977–78 season of the Moroccan Throne Cup is the 22nd edition of the competition.


1977–78 Moroccan Throne Cup
Wydad Athletic Club won the cup, beating Renaissance de Kénitra 3–0 in the final, played at the Stade Saniat Rmel in Tetouan. Wydad Athletic Club won the competition for the second time in their history.


1977–78 Moroccan Throne Cup, Competition, Final
The final took place between the winners of the two semi-finals, Wydad Athletic Club and Renaissance de Kénitra, on 16 July 1978 at Stade Saniat Rmel in Tanger.


1977–78 NBA season
The 1977–78 NBA season was the 32nd season of the National Basketball Association. The season ended with the Washington Bullets winning the NBA Championship, beating the Seattle SuperSonics 4 games to 3 in the NBA Finals.


1977–78 NBA season, Playoffs
Teams in bold advanced to the next round. The numbers to the left of each team indicate the team's seeding in its conference, and the numbers to the right indicate the number of games the team won in that round. The division champions are marked by an asterisk. Home court advantage does not necessarily belong to the higher-seeded team, but instead the team with the better regular season record; teams enjoying the home advantage are shown in italics.


1977–78 NBA season, NBA awards
Note: All information on this page were obtained on the History section on


1977–78 NCAA Division I men's basketball rankings
The 1977–78 NCAA Division I men's basketball rankings was made up of two human polls, the AP Poll and the Coaches Poll, in addition to various other preseason polls.


1977–78 NCAA Division I men's basketball season
The 1977–78 NCAA Division I men's basketball season began in November 1977, progressed through the regular season and conference tournaments, and concluded with the 1978 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament Championship Game on March 27, 1978, at The Checkerdome in St. Louis, Missouri. The Kentucky Wildcats won their fifth NCAA national championship with a 94–88 victory over the Duke Blue Devils.


1977–78 NCAA Division I men's basketball season, Season outlook, Pre-season polls
The top 20 from the AP Poll during the pre-season.


1977–78 NCAA Division I men's basketball season, Regular season, Conference winners and tournaments
The Southwestern Athletic Conference — with members Alcorn State, Grambling State, Jackson State, Mississippi Valley State, Prairie View A&M, Southern, and Texas Southern — became a Division I conference this season.


1977–78 NCAA Division I men's basketball season, Regular season, Conference winners and tournaments
From 1975 to 1982, the Eastern College Athletic Conference (ECAC), a loosely organized sports federation of Northeastern colleges and universities, organized Division I ECAC regional tournaments for those of its members that were independents in basketball. Each 1978 tournament winner received an automatic bid to the 1978 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament in the same way that the tournament champions of conventional athletic conferences did.


1977–78 NCAA Division I men's basketball season, Coaching changes
A number of teams changed coaches during the season and after it ended.


1977–78 NCAA Division I men's ice hockey season
The 1977–78 NCAA Division I men's ice hockey season began in October 1977 and concluded with the 1978 NCAA Division I Men's Ice Hockey Tournament's championship game on March 25, 1978 at the Providence Civic Center in Providence, Rhode Island. This was the 31st season in which an NCAA ice hockey championship was held and is the 83rd year overall where an NCAA school fielded a team.


1977–78 NCAA Division I men's ice hockey season, Player stats, Scoring leaders
The following players led the league in points at the conclusion of the season.


1977–78 NCAA Division I men's ice hockey season, Player stats, Scoring leaders
GP = Games played; G = Goals; A = Assists; Pts = Points; PIM = Penalty minutes


1977–78 NCAA Division I men's ice hockey season, Player stats, Leading goaltenders
The following goaltenders led the league in goals against average at the end of the regular season while playing at least 33% of their team's total minutes.


1977–78 NCAA Division I men's ice hockey season, Player stats, Leading goaltenders
GP = Games played; Min = Minutes played; W = Wins; L = Losses; OT = Overtime/shootout losses; GA = Goals against; SO = Shutouts; SV% = Save percentage; GAA = Goals against average


1977–78 NCAA Division II men's ice hockey season
The 1977–78 NCAA Division II men's ice hockey season began in November 1977 and concluded on March 18 of the following year. This was the 14th season of second-tier college ice hockey.


1977–78 NCAA Division II men's ice hockey season
The NCAA instituted a Division II national championship beginning with this season. Bowdoin was one of the two ECAC 2 tournament champions, however, because Bowdoin College barred its teams from participating in national tournaments at the time runner-up Merrimack was selected instead.


1977–78 NCAA Division II men's ice hockey season
Due to the number of independent programs and the lack of any conference tournament for western teams, the NCAA also began holding a playoff series for western teams to help determine which schools would receive bids.


1977–78 NCAA Division II men's ice hockey season
Despite already being part of ECAC 2, all SUNYAC schools, as well as a few other upstate New York schools formed the New York Collegiate Hockey Association (NYCHA). Because all teams were still members of ECAC 2 and the larger conference began holding two tournaments, doubled the number of participants beginning with this season, no NYCHA tournament was ever held.


1977–78 NCAA Division III men's ice hockey season
The 1977–78 NCAA Division III men's ice hockey season began in November 1977 and concluded on March of the following year. This was the 5th season of Division III college ice hockey.


1977–78 NCAA Division III men's ice hockey season, Regular season, Standings
Championship: March , 1978† indicates conference regular season champion* indicates conference tournament champion


1977–78 NFL playoffs
The National Football League playoffs for the 1977 season began on December 24, 1977. The postseason tournament concluded with the Dallas Cowboys defeating the Denver Broncos in Super Bowl XII, 27–10, on January 15, 1978, at the Louisiana Superdome in New Orleans, Louisiana.


1977–78 NFL playoffs
This was also the last season that the NFL used an eight-team playoff tournament.


1977–78 NFL playoffs, Participants
Within each conference, the three division winners and one wild card team (the top non-division winner with the best overall regular season records) qualified for the playoffs. The three division winners were seeded 1 through 3 based on their overall won-lost-tied record, and the wild card team was seeded 4. The first round, the divisional playoffs, had a restriction where two teams from the same division could not meet: the surviving wild card team visited the division champion outside its own division that had the higher seed, and the remaining two teams from that conference played each other.


1977–78 NFL playoffs, Participants
The two surviving teams from each conference's divisional playoff games then meet in the respective AFC and NFC Conference Championship games, hosted by the higher seed. Although the Super Bowl, the third and final round of the playoffs, was played at a neutral site, the designated home team was based on an annual rotation by conference.


1977–78 NFL playoffs, Bracket
* The Denver Broncos (the AFC 1 seed) did not play the Oakland Raiders (the 4 seed) in the Divisional playoff round because both teams were in the same division.


1977–78 NFL playoffs, Schedule
Due to Christmas falling on a Sunday, the Divisional Round games were held in a span of three days. The AFC playoff games were played on Saturday December 24, while the NFC games were held on Monday, December 26. It also marked the only year since the AFL–NFL merger in 1970 that one conference held both of its divisional playoff games on one day and the other conference held both of its games on the other day. In every other season since 1970, the conferences have split their playoff games over the two days.


1977–78 NFL playoffs, Schedule
In the United States, NBC broadcast the AFC playoff games, while CBS televised the NFC games and Super Bowl XII.


1977–78 NFL playoffs, Divisional playoffs, Saturday, December 24, 1977, AFC: Oakland Raiders 37, Baltimore Colts 31 (2OT)
On a play that became known as Ghost to the Post, Raiders quarterback Ken Stabler threw a 42-yard completion to tight end Dave Casper on a post route to set up the game-tying field goal with 29 seconds left in regulation. Casper, nicknamed "The Ghost" by his teammates, also caught a 10-yard touchdown pass 43 seconds into the second overtime period to win the game. The game featured nine lead changes before it was over.


1977–78 NFL playoffs, Divisional playoffs, Saturday, December 24, 1977, AFC: Oakland Raiders 37, Baltimore Colts 31 (2OT)
Oakland's Carl Garrett started the game with a 40-yard kick return to the Colts 41-yard line. But they could not take advantage and lost the ball when Mark Van Eeghen's fumble was recovered by defensive back Lyle Blackwood. The rest of the quarter was a defensive struggle, but with less than a minute left, Oakland scored first with running back Clarence Davis's 30-yard touchdown run. Oakland then forced a three and out deep in Baltimore territory and got the ball back with great field position at the Colts 48.


1977–78 NFL playoffs, Divisional playoffs, Saturday, December 24, 1977, AFC: Oakland Raiders 37, Baltimore Colts 31 (2OT)
They seemed to be in prime position to increase their lead, but Baltimore's Bruce Laird intercepted Stabler's pass and returned it 61-yards for a touchdown. Later in the quarter, Baltimore mounted their first sustained drive, moving the ball from their 20 to the Raiders 19-yard line. Following a dropped interception by Oakland defensive back Jack Tatum, Toni Linhart's 36-yard field goal gave them their first lead of the game. Oakland responded with a drive to the Colts 23-yard line, but with less than a minute left, Baltimore lineman John Dutton recovered a fumble from Davis to preserve the 10–7 score going into halftime.


1977–78 NFL playoffs, Divisional playoffs, Saturday, December 24, 1977, AFC: Oakland Raiders 37, Baltimore Colts 31 (2OT)
The Raiders scored on their first drive of the second half with Stabler's 41-yard completion to Cliff Branch setting up his 8-yard touchdown pass to Casper. To make matters worse for the Colts, Blackwood was injured on the drive and had to miss the rest of the game. But Baltimore still took the lead right back as Marshall Johnson returned the ensuing kickoff 87 yards to the end zone. On Oakland's next possession, they lost their fourth turnover of the day when Laird picked off another Stabler pass, this one on the Raiders 40. But the Raiders defense rose to the occasion, forcing a punt that was blocked by Ted Hendricks and recovered by linebacker Jeff Barnes, who returned it to the Colts 16-yard line. Two plays later, Casper caught a 10-yard touchdown pass to make the score 21–17.


1977–78 NFL playoffs, Divisional playoffs, Saturday, December 24, 1977, AFC: Oakland Raiders 37, Baltimore Colts 31 (2OT)
Baltimore scored on their first drive of the fourth quarter, driving 80 yards to a fourth down 1-yard touchdown run by Ron Lee. Oakland quickly struck back, starting with Garrett's 43-yard kickoff return to his own 47. After two incompletions, Stabler kept the drive going with a 25-yard pass to Van Eeghen. Then Colts defensive back Nelson Munsey was hit with a 24-yard pass interference penalty while trying to cover Branch in the end zone, and Pete Banaszak rushed for a touchdown on the next play.


1977–78 NFL playoffs, Divisional playoffs, Saturday, December 24, 1977, AFC: Oakland Raiders 37, Baltimore Colts 31 (2OT)
Baltimore stormed right back with a touchdown on their own on a 73-yard drive, starting off with Bert Jones' 30-yard completion to Raymond Chester and followed up with a 16-yard swing pass to Lee. Lee then moved the ball to the 14-yard line with a 13-yard run, and scored from there on the next play, giving the Colts a 31–28 lead. Baltimore's defense quickly forced a punt, giving the offense the ball in good field position with a chance to put the game away. But the Raiders stopped them on three consecutive runs, all on tackles from lineman John Matuszak.


1977–78 NFL playoffs, Divisional playoffs, Saturday, December 24, 1977, AFC: Oakland Raiders 37, Baltimore Colts 31 (2OT)
After both teams punted once more, Oakland got the ball back with 2:55 left in regulation on their own 30. After a 14-yard reception by Davis and an incompletion, Stabler's 42-yard "Ghost to the Post" completion to Casper advanced the Raiders to the Baltimore 14-yard line. A few plays later, they faced fourth down and 1 from the 5. Rather than risk the game on a fourth-down conversion attempt, Oakland decided to kick the field goal, and Errol Mann sent it through the uprights from 22 yards, tying the game and sending it into overtime.


1977–78 NFL playoffs, Divisional playoffs, Saturday, December 24, 1977, AFC: Oakland Raiders 37, Baltimore Colts 31 (2OT)
After forcing Baltimore to punt on the opening drive of overtime, Oakland drove 41 yards in nine plays to set up a field goal attempt for Mann, but the kick was blocked by Mike Barnes. After another punt, Oakland drove to the Colts 35-yard line. On second down, Stabler was sacked for a 10-yard loss by Fred Cook, pushing his team out of field goal range. But then he kept the drive alive with a 19-yard completion to Branch, setting up Casper's 10-yard touchdown catch less than a minute into the second overtime period to win the game.


1977–78 NFL playoffs, Divisional playoffs, Saturday, December 24, 1977, AFC: Oakland Raiders 37, Baltimore Colts 31 (2OT)
Stabler threw for 345 yards and three touchdowns, with two interceptions. Casper finished with 4 receptions for 70 yards and three touchdowns. Oakland linebacker Monte Johnson had 20 tackles and finished the game with a broken vertebra in his neck. Garrett returned 5 kickoffs for 169 yards. Marshall Johnson finished with 3 kickoff returns for 134 yards and a touchdown, along with a punt return for 16. Baltimore's top offensive performer was Lydell Mitchell, who rushed for 67 yards and caught 3 passes for 39.


1977–78 NFL playoffs, Divisional playoffs, Saturday, December 24, 1977, AFC: Oakland Raiders 37, Baltimore Colts 31 (2OT)
This was the final NFL playoff game in Baltimore's Memorial Stadium. The Colts did not return to the playoffs until 1987, their fourth season in Indianapolis, and the Ravens failed to qualify for the playoffs during either of their two seasons at Memorial Stadium, 1996 and 1997. Playoff football would not return to Baltimore until New Year's Eve 2000, at PSINet Stadium.


1977–78 NFL playoffs, Divisional playoffs, Saturday, December 24, 1977, AFC: Oakland Raiders 37, Baltimore Colts 31 (2OT)
This was second postseason meeting between the Raiders and Colts. Baltimore won the only prior meeting.


1977–78 NFL playoffs, Divisional playoffs, Saturday, December 24, 1977, AFC: Denver Broncos 34, Pittsburgh Steelers 21
In Denver's first postseason football contest, linebacker Tom Jackson's 2 interceptions and a fumble recovery set up 17 points, 10 of them in the 4th quarter, as the Broncos defeated the Steelers for the first playoff win in their 18-year history.


1977–78 NFL playoffs, Divisional playoffs, Saturday, December 24, 1977, AFC: Denver Broncos 34, Pittsburgh Steelers 21
Denver scored first after Broncos receiver John Schultz blocked a punt from Rick Engles and recovered the ball on the Steelers 17-yard line to set up running back Rob Lytle's 7-yard rushing touchdown. Pittsburgh responded with a 56-yard drive, including a 19-yard reception by tight end Bennie Cunningham on 4th down and 1, to tie the score on quarterback Terry Bradshaw's 1-yard rushing touchdown.


1977–78 NFL playoffs, Divisional playoffs, Saturday, December 24, 1977, AFC: Denver Broncos 34, Pittsburgh Steelers 21
In the second quarter, Broncos defensive tackle Lyle Alzado forced a fumble from Franco Harris, which linebacker Randy Gradishar recovered and returned 5 yards before fumbling himself. The second fumble was recovered by Tom Jackson, who returned it 25 yards to the Pittsburgh 10-yard line. On the next play, running back Otis Armstrong ran the ball into the end zone to give the Broncos a 14–7 lead. However, Pittsburgh quickly struck back starting with Jim Smith's 28-yard kickoff return to the Steelers 34-yard line. Bradshaw then hit John Stallworth for a 21-yard completion and Harris ripped off a 20-yard burst before he finished the drive with a 1-yard touchdown run to tie the game at 14 with 1:41 left in the half.


1977–78 NFL playoffs, Divisional playoffs, Saturday, December 24, 1977, AFC: Denver Broncos 34, Pittsburgh Steelers 21
In the third quarter, the Broncos drove 52 yards to the Pittsburgh 1-yard line, only to lose the ball when Jim Jensen was stuffed for no gain by Jack Lambert and Jim Allen on 4th down. But after a punt, they drove 43 yards to go up 21–14 on Craig Morton's 30-yard touchdown pass to tight end Riley Odoms.


1977–78 NFL playoffs, Divisional playoffs, Saturday, December 24, 1977, AFC: Denver Broncos 34, Pittsburgh Steelers 21
Early in the 4th quarter, Pittsburgh managed to tie the game with a 48-yard catch by Stallworth setting up Bradshaw's 1-yard touchdown pass to tight end Larry Brown. But this would be their last score as Denver soon took over the game. First, Jim Turner put the Broncos up 24–21 by kicking 44-yard field goal with 7:17 left on the clock. Then Jackson intercepted a pass from Bradshaw and returned it 32 yards to the Steelers 9-yard line, setting up Turner's 24-yard field goal to make the score 27–21.


1977–78 NFL playoffs, Divisional playoffs, Saturday, December 24, 1977, AFC: Denver Broncos 34, Pittsburgh Steelers 21
On Pittsburgh's ensuring drive, Jackson struck again, intercepting another pass and returning this one 17 yards to the Steelers 33. Rather than sitting on their one-score lead and trying to run out the clock with running plays, Denver took to the air, scoring the game clinching touchdown on Morton's 34-yard pass to Jack Dolbin with 1:44 left in the game.


1977–78 NFL playoffs, Divisional playoffs, Saturday, December 24, 1977, AFC: Denver Broncos 34, Pittsburgh Steelers 21
Harris finished the game with 92 rushing yards, 4 receptions for 20 yards, and a touchdown. Morton only completed 11 of 23 passes, but he threw for 167 yards and two touchdowns with no interceptions.


1977–78 NFL playoffs, Divisional playoffs, Saturday, December 24, 1977, AFC: Denver Broncos 34, Pittsburgh Steelers 21
This was the first postseason meeting between the Steelers and Broncos.


1977–78 NFL playoffs, Divisional playoffs, Monday, December 26, 1977, NFC: Dallas Cowboys 37, Chicago Bears 7
Safety Charlie Waters led the Cowboys to a 37–7 victory by setting an NFL playoff record of 3 interceptions. Chicago lost 7 turnovers by the end of the game and finished with just 224 total yards. Running back Walter Payton, the NFL's leading rusher with 1,852 yards during the season, was held to just 60 yards on 19 carries (though he did have 33 additional yards on 3 receptions and 57 return yards from three kickoffs).


1977–78 NFL playoffs, Divisional playoffs, Monday, December 26, 1977, NFC: Dallas Cowboys 37, Chicago Bears 7
Dallas built a 17–0 halftime lead, starting out the scoring with Roger Staubach's 32-yard completion to Tony Dorsett that set up Doug Dennison's 2-yard touchdown run. Staubach later completed a 31-yard pass to Drew Pearson before finding tight end Billy Joe Dupree over the goal line for a 28-yard touchdown pass, and Efren Herrera added a 21-yard field goal to give Dallas a 17–0 first half lead. Chicago had a chance to make it 17–7 before halftime with a drive inside the Dallas red zone, but Waters put an end to it by intercepting Bob Avellini in the end zone.


1977–78 NFL playoffs, Divisional playoffs, Monday, December 26, 1977, NFC: Dallas Cowboys 37, Chicago Bears 7
On the first play of the second half, Cowboys linebacker D. D. Lewis intercepted an Avellini pass, and Dallas converted it into another touchdown on Dorsett's 23-yard run. Then Avellini lost a fumble on the Bears ensuing possession, leading to a 31-yard Herrera field goal. Before the end of the game, Dallas added 10 more points to their lead on Dorsett's 7-yard run and Herrera's 27-yard kick, while their defense limited Chicago to a useless touchdown on a 34-yard pass from Avellini to Steve Schubert with 7:03 left in the game.


1977–78 NFL playoffs, Divisional playoffs, Monday, December 26, 1977, NFC: Dallas Cowboys 37, Chicago Bears 7
Dallas finished the game with 365 total yards, including 233 on the ground. Dorsett led the way with 85 rushing yards, 37 receiving yards, and two touchdowns. Fullback Robert Newhouse added 80 more yards on the ground, and a 13-yard catch.


1977–78 NFL playoffs, Divisional playoffs, Monday, December 26, 1977, NFC: Dallas Cowboys 37, Chicago Bears 7
This was the Bears' first playoff game since winning the 1963 NFL championship.


1977–78 NFL playoffs, Divisional playoffs, Monday, December 26, 1977, NFC: Dallas Cowboys 37, Chicago Bears 7
This was the first postseason meeting between the Bears and Cowboys.


1977–78 NFL playoffs, Divisional playoffs, Monday, December 26, 1977, NFC: Minnesota Vikings 14, Los Angeles Rams 7
The Rams had easily defeated an aging Vikings team in the regular season 35–3 in October on the nationally televised Monday Night Football, and after years of frustrating playoff losses in the cold of  Minnesota, the Rams finally had a home playoff game against the Vikings. In addition, Viking quarterback Fran Tarkenton was injured in that Monday night game. However, as luck would have it, Los Angeles was engulfed in a torrential rainstorm, and the game became known as “The Mud Bowl”.


1977–78 NFL playoffs, Divisional playoffs, Monday, December 26, 1977, NFC: Minnesota Vikings 14, Los Angeles Rams 7
Running back Chuck Foreman led the Vikings to a victory by recording 101 rushing yards on the heavy field. Minnesota head coach Bud Grant’s strategy was to have quarterback Bob Lee throw early before the field lost traction. By the end of the game, the Rams lost three turnovers, while the Vikings didn't lose any.


1977–78 NFL playoffs, Divisional playoffs, Monday, December 26, 1977, NFC: Minnesota Vikings 14, Los Angeles Rams 7
The Rams took the opening kickoff and moved the ball to the Minnesota 31. However, Vikings lineman Alan Page ended the drive by dropping RB Lawrence McCutcheon for a 1-yard loss on 4th down and 2. The Vikings took over and drove 70 yards, with Lee completing 5/5 passes, to a 7-0 lead on a 5-yard scoring run by Foreman. Lee threw only five more passes the remainder of the game (completing zero) as the field conditions worsened and the Vikings went strictly into "control the clock" mode.


1977–78 NFL playoffs, Divisional playoffs, Monday, December 26, 1977, NFC: Minnesota Vikings 14, Los Angeles Rams 7
From that point on until the fourth quarter, both teams remained scoreless while the field turned into a quagmire. The Rams had two chances to score, but quarterback Pat Haden threw an interception to Nate Allen in the end zone and kicker Rafael Septién missed a field goal. Early in the final period,  Vikings running back Manfred Moore returned a punt 21 yards to set up Sammy Johnson's 1-yard rushing touchdown. With less than a minute left in the game, Haden threw a 1-yard touchdown pass to Harold Jackson to cut the score 14–7. The Rams then recovered the ensuing onside kick, but safety Jeff Wright intercepted Haden's desperate pass in the end zone on the game's final play.


1977–78 NFL playoffs, Divisional playoffs, Monday, December 26, 1977, NFC: Minnesota Vikings 14, Los Angeles Rams 7
This was the fourth postseason meeting between the Vikings and Rams. Minnesota won all three previous meetings.


1977–78 NFL playoffs, Conference Championships, Sunday, January 1, 1978, AFC: Denver Broncos 20, Oakland Raiders 17
Despite a poor day from veteran kicker Jim Turner, who missed three field goals and had an extra point blocked, Denver converted two second half turnovers into touchdowns to edge out the defending Super Bowl champion Raiders.


1977–78 NFL playoffs, Conference Championships, Sunday, January 1, 1978, AFC: Denver Broncos 20, Oakland Raiders 17
Denver was forced to punt on their opening drive, and Bucky Dilts's kick went just 21 yards to the Oakland 43-yard line. Aided by two Broncos penalties, including a running into the punter call that enabled Oakland to avoid a three and out, the Raiders subsequently drove to the Denver 2-yard line and scored with Errol Mann's 20-yard field goal.


1977–78 NFL playoffs, Conference Championships, Sunday, January 1, 1978, AFC: Denver Broncos 20, Oakland Raiders 17
But on the Broncos' second drive, quarterback Craig Morton threw a 74-yard touchdown to wide receiver Haven Moses, who caught the ball along the right sideline and managed to break through a tackle attempt by defensive back Skip Thomas and stay in bounds on the way to the end zone. The score would remain 7–3 for the rest of the half, with Mann hitting the uprights on a 30-yard field goal try and Turner missing a 40-yard attempt. The Raiders also suffered a major setback when receiver Fred Biletnikoff went down with a separated shoulder.


1977–78 NFL playoffs, Conference Championships, Sunday, January 1, 1978, AFC: Denver Broncos 20, Oakland Raiders 17
Oakland's Carl Garrett returned the second half kickoff 62 yards to the Broncos 33-yard line. On first down, Ken Stabler tried to connect with Cliff Branch in the end zone, but defensive Steve Foley barely managed to deflect the pass away. Then running back Mark van Eeghen was held to a 1-yard gain, Stabler threw a third down incompletion, and the Raiders decided to punt rather than risk a 49-yard field goal.


1977–78 NFL playoffs, Conference Championships, Sunday, January 1, 1978, AFC: Denver Broncos 20, Oakland Raiders 17
Denver took after and drove deep into Raiders territory, with Moses hauling in a 41-yard reception to give the Broncos another scoring chance, but following a bad snap, Turner missed another field goal, this one from 31 yards. On the next play, Oakland's Clarence Davis lost a fumble that defensive end Brison Manor recovered at the Oakland 17-yard line. A short carry from fullback Jon Keyworth and Morton's 13-yard completion then moved the ball to the 2.


1977–78 NFL playoffs, Conference Championships, Sunday, January 1, 1978, AFC: Denver Broncos 20, Oakland Raiders 17
Then running back Rob Lytle was hit in mid-air while trying to dive over the line by Raiders safety Jack Tatum, and lost the ball. Oakland nose tackle Mike McCoy appeared to recover the fumble, but the play was blown dead by an official on the opposite side of the field. The officials (chiefly Ed Marion) ruled that Lytle's forward progress was stopped before the fumble, even though replays clearly showed the ball was knocked free at the moment of contact. Denver retained possession. The Raiders were then penalized half the distance to the goal for arguing the call, and Keyworth scored a Denver touchdown on the next play to give Denver a 14–3 lead.


1977–78 NFL playoffs, Conference Championships, Sunday, January 1, 1978, AFC: Denver Broncos 20, Oakland Raiders 17
Later on, Denver recovered a muffed punt from Garrett on the Raiders 27-yard line. Right after the turnover, Morton appeared to throw a touchdown pass to Jack Dolbin, who made a rolling catch along the ground and then got up and headed for the end zone. However, officials ruled the ball had touched the ground before he secured the catch (replays appeared to contradict this) and it was called as an incompletion. Following two more incomplete passes, Turner missed his third field goal of the day, this time from 44 yards, and the Broncos came up empty.


1977–78 NFL playoffs, Conference Championships, Sunday, January 1, 1978, AFC: Denver Broncos 20, Oakland Raiders 17
Near the end of the third quarter, Oakland finally caught a break when Garrett returned Dilts' 38-yard punt 4 yards to the Broncos 48-yard line. On the next play, Van Eeghen rushed for 13 yards. Following an incompletion, Stabler fired a pass to tight end Dave Casper, who made a falling catch, got back up, and took off for a 26-yard gain to the Denver 9. Two plays later, Stabler finished the drive with a 7-yard touchdown pass to Casper on the second play of the fourth quarter, cutting the score to 14–10.


1977–78 NFL playoffs, Conference Championships, Sunday, January 1, 1978, AFC: Denver Broncos 20, Oakland Raiders 17
Denver responded by advancing the ball to the Raiders 11-yard line, only to have linebacker Floyd Rice intercept the ball from Morton and take it 11 yards back to the 22. Oakland now seemed primed to drive for a leading touchdown, but before they could get out of their own territory, Denver linebacker Bob Swenson made a clutch interception and returned the ball 14 yards to the Oakland 17-yard line. Two plays later, Moses made a sliding 12-yard catch of Morton's pass in the end zone, putting the Broncos ahead 20–10 after Turner's extra point was blocked. Oakland struck back with an 8-play, 74-yard drive to score on Casper's 17-yard touchdown catch to make it 20–17 with 3:16 left in regulation, but the Broncos' held the ball for the rest of the game and ran out the clock.


1977–78 NFL playoffs, Conference Championships, Sunday, January 1, 1978, AFC: Denver Broncos 20, Oakland Raiders 17
Moses was responsible for most of Denver's 217 yards gained through the air, finishing the game with 5 receptions for 168 yards and two touchdowns. Morton completed 10/20 passes for 224 yards and two touchdowns, with one interception. Stabler finished 17/35 for 215 yards and two touchdowns with one pick. Garrett returned 3 kickoffs for 111 yards and two punts for 5.


1977–78 NFL playoffs, Conference Championships, Sunday, January 1, 1978, AFC: Denver Broncos 20, Oakland Raiders 17
With his two touchdown catches along with his three against the Colts, Casper set a single post-season record for touchdowns by a tight end (5) which still stands to this day.


1977–78 NFL playoffs, Conference Championships, Sunday, January 1, 1978, AFC: Denver Broncos 20, Oakland Raiders 17
This was the first postseason meeting between the Raiders and Broncos.


1977–78 NFL playoffs, Conference Championships, Sunday, January 1, 1978, NFC: Dallas Cowboys 23, Minnesota Vikings 6
The Cowboys defense held the Vikings to 214 total yards, 66 rushing yards and 6 points, while forcing them to lose 4 turnovers. Minnesota again started quarterback Bob Lee, who was playing for the injured Fran Tarkenton.


1977–78 NFL playoffs, Conference Championships, Sunday, January 1, 1978, NFC: Dallas Cowboys 23, Minnesota Vikings 6
Dallas took the early lead after defensive end Harvey Martin recovered a fumble from Vikings running back Robert Miller on the third play of the game, giving the Cowboys a first down on the  Minnesota 39-yard line. Following 7-yard run by Robert Newhouse, Dallas scored on Roger Staubach's 32-yard touchdown pass to receiver Golden Richards, giving the team a 6–0 lead after Efren Herrera missed the extra point. Later in the quarter, Minnesota had a big chance to score when a Dallas punt back near their goal line gave the Vikings a first down on the Dallas 45-yard line. But this drive was snuffed out by defensive lineman Ed "Too Tall" Jones, who stormed into the Vikings backfield to tackle running back Chuck Foreman immediately after taking a handoff, forcing a fumble that was recovered by Martin.


1977–78 NFL playoffs, Conference Championships, Sunday, January 1, 1978, NFC: Dallas Cowboys 23, Minnesota Vikings 6
In the second quarter, Dallas took advantage of a short field after Butch Johnson returned a punt 4 yards to the Vikings 46. The team then drove 46 yards in 8 plays, including a 14-yard run by Danny White on a fake punt, to score on Newhouse's 5-yard rushing touchdown. Vikings receiver Sammy White returned the kickoff 37 yards to the 48-yard line. On the next play, a 44-yard pass interference penalty on Charlie Waters gave Minnesota a first down on the Dallas 8.


1977–78 NFL playoffs, Conference Championships, Sunday, January 1, 1978, NFC: Dallas Cowboys 23, Minnesota Vikings 6
But after Foreman was stuffed on two running plays, defensive tackle Randy White sacked Lee on the 16-yard line, forcing the Vikings to settle for a 13–3 deficit from Fred Cox's 33-yard field goal. Then after forcing a punt, Lee completed passes to Stu Voigt and Sammy White for gains of 19 and 16 yards as the team drove 68 yards to score on Cox's 37-yard field goal, making the score 13–6 with less than two minutes left in the half. Dallas struck back with a 32-yard completion from Staubach to running back Preston Pearson setting up Herrera's 21-yard field goal, giving the team a 16–6 lead going into halftime.


1977–78 NFL playoffs, Conference Championships, Sunday, January 1, 1978, NFC: Dallas Cowboys 23, Minnesota Vikings 6
Minnesota mounted a mild scoring threat early in the third quarter when a 28-yard completion from Lee to White gave them a first down on the Dallas 34, but they could go no further and ended up punting. Near the end of the quarter, Dallas had a huge chance to increase their lead with a drive inside the Vikings 15-yard line. But Minnesota safety Jeff Wright forced a fumble from Tony Dorsett that was recovered by linebacker Fred McNeill.


1977–78 NFL playoffs, Conference Championships, Sunday, January 1, 1978, NFC: Dallas Cowboys 23, Minnesota Vikings 6
In the fourth quarter, Cowboys linebacker Thomas Henderson forced Vikings punt returner Manfred Moore to fumble and it was recovered by Dallas tight end Jay Saldi. Five plays later, Dorsett rushed for an 11-yard touchdown to put the game away.


1977–78 NFL playoffs, Conference Championships, Sunday, January 1, 1978, NFC: Dallas Cowboys 23, Minnesota Vikings 6
During the first quarter, a fan in dressed in a snowman suit, 24-year old Daniel Yoder, was accidentally set on fire when he bumped into a flaming can of liquid fuel being used by a girl selling hot chocolate in the stands. Yoder was completely engulfed in flames, but other spectators managed to put out the fire and he survived with second-degree burns.


1977–78 NFL playoffs, Conference Championships, Sunday, January 1, 1978, NFC: Dallas Cowboys 23, Minnesota Vikings 6
This was the fourth postseason meeting between the Vikings and Cowboys. Dallas won two of the previous three meetings.


1977–78 NFL playoffs, Super Bowl XII: Dallas Cowboys 27, Denver Broncos 10
This was the first Super Bowl meeting between the Cowboys and Broncos.


1977–78 NHL season
The 1977–78 NHL season was the 61st season of the National Hockey League. The Montreal Canadiens won their third Stanley Cup in a row, defeating the Boston Bruins four games to two in the Stanley Cup Finals.


1977–78 NHL season, League business
Prior to the start of the season, Clarence Campbell retired as NHL President. John Ziegler succeeded him in that capacity.


1977–78 NHL season, League business
A trophy for the top defensive forward, the Frank J. Selke Trophy, made its debut this season and went to Bob Gainey, who played left wing for Montreal.


1977–78 NHL season, League business
On June 14, 1978, the league approved the merger of the financially struggling Cleveland Barons and Minnesota North Stars franchises, reducing the number of teams to 17, with the North Stars (now the Dallas Stars) assuming the Barons' place in the Adams Division. It was the first instance of a franchise dissolving since the Brooklyn Americans ceased operations in 1942. The next time the NHL had a team in Ohio would be the expansion Columbus Blue Jackets in the 2000–01 season.


1977–78 NHL season, League business
The league changed the playoff qualification format for this season. Whereas before the top three teams in every division qualified, the format was changed to guarantee the top two teams in each division a playoff spot. The last four qualifiers were from the next-best four regular-season records from third and lower place finishers.


1977–78 NHL season, League business
Teams were required to place the last names of players on the back of all jerseys starting with this season, but Toronto Maple Leafs owner Harold Ballard initially refused, fearing that he would not be able to sell programs at his team's games. The NHL responded by threatening to levy a fine on the team in February 1978, so Ballard complied by making the letters the same color as the background they were on, which for the team's road jerseys was blue. The League threatened further sanctions, and despite playing more than one game with their "unreadable" sweaters, Ballard's Maple Leafs finally complied in earnest by making the letters white on the blue road jerseys. (Blue letter names would not come to the white home jerseys until the following year.)


1977–78 NHL season, Regular season
Bobby Orr sat out the season to rest his oft-injured knee in the hope that rest would allow him to return to play in 1978–79; he would return for that season, only playing in six games before retiring.


1977–78 NHL season, Regular season
On December 11, 1977, the Philadelphia Flyers' Tom Bladon became the first defenceman in NHL history to score eight points in one game. He scored four goals and four assists versus the Cleveland Barons. It was 25% of his point total for the entire season.


1977–78 NHL season, Regular season
The Colorado Rockies qualified for the playoffs for the first time in franchise history. They would not make the playoffs again until after the team had moved to New Jersey, in 1988. The next time the playoffs came to Colorado would be the Colorado Avalanche's championship season of 1996.


1977–78 NHL season, Regular season, Final standings
GP = Games Played, W = Wins, L = Losses, T = Ties, Pts = Points, GF = Goals For, GA = Goals Against, PIM = Penalties In MinutesTeams that qualified for the playoffs are highlighted in bold


1977–78 NHL season, Playoffs
The playoffs were held in four rounds, preliminary, quarterfinals, semifinals and finals. In the preliminary round, the Detroit Red Wings were the only lower-placed team to win over the higher-placed team. The Red Wings were then defeated in five games by the first-place Montreal Canadiens. The Toronto Maple Leafs defeated the Los Angeles Kings to advance to the quarterfinals, where the Leafs upset the third-place New York Islanders in seven games, setting up an "Original Six" playoff against Montreal. The upsets ended there as the Canadiens swept the Leafs to advance to the finals. In the other groupings, the higher-placed team won each round, and the second-place Boston Bruins advanced to the finals against the first-place Canadiens. In the finals, the Canadiens defeated the Bruins in six games to win their third consecutive Stanley Cup.


1977–78 NHL season, Playoffs
The Colorado Rockies made their one and only playoff appearance in the preliminary round against the Philadelphia Flyers, and were swept in two games. It would take another ten years before they got to the playoffs again in New Jersey. The Chicago Black Hawks were swept in the other "Original Six" matchup of the playoffs, losing to Boston in the quarterfinals.


1977–78 NHL season, Playoffs, Playoff seeds
The twelve teams that qualified for the playoffs are ranked 1–12 based on regular season points.


1977–78 NHL season, Playoffs, Playoff seeds
Note: Only teams that qualified for the playoffs are listed here.


1977–78 NHL season, Playoffs, Preliminary Round, (1) Philadelphia Flyers vs. (8) Colorado Rockies
This was the first playoff series meeting between these two teams. It was the Rockies' only playoff appearance in their first eight seasons before moving to New Jersey in 1982 (including two years in Kansas City and six in Denver).


1977–78 NHL season, Playoffs, Preliminary Round, (2) Buffalo Sabres vs. (7) New York Rangers
This was the first playoff series meeting between these two teams.


1977–78 NHL season, Playoffs, Preliminary Round, (3) Toronto Maple Leafs vs. (6) Los Angeles Kings
This was the second playoff series meeting between these two teams. This was a rematch of last year's Preliminary Round, in which Toronto won the series 2–1.


1977–78 NHL season, Playoffs, Preliminary Round, (4) Atlanta Flames vs. (5) Detroit Red Wings
This was the first playoff series between these two teams; they would not meet again in Stanley Cup play until 2004, after the Flames had relocated to Calgary. (The Flames never won a playoff series while representing Atlanta, losing all six over an eight-year period.)


1977–78 NHL season, Playoffs, Preliminary Round, (4) Atlanta Flames vs. (5) Detroit Red Wings
For Detroit, it was their only playoff series win in the twenty years between 1967 and 1986.


1977–78 NHL season, Playoffs, Quarterfinals, (1) Montreal Canadiens vs. (8) Detroit Red Wings
This was the 12th playoff series meeting between these two teams. Detroit lead 7–4 in previous playoff meetings. Montreal won their most recent meeting in six games in the 1966 Stanley Cup Finals.


1977–78 NHL season, Playoffs, Quarterfinals, (1) Montreal Canadiens vs. (8) Detroit Red Wings
Game 4 was the final playoff game at the Detroit Olympia.


1977–78 NHL season, Playoffs, Quarterfinals, (2) Boston Bruins vs. (7) Chicago Black Hawks
This was the sixth playoff meeting between these two teams. Boston won four of the previous five meetings. Chicago won their last series meeting 2–1 in the 1975 Preliminary Round.


1977–78 NHL season, Playoffs, Quarterfinals, (3) New York Islanders vs. (6) Toronto Maple Leafs
This was the first playoff series meeting between these two teams.


1977–78 NHL season, Playoffs, Quarterfinals, (4) Philadelphia Flyers vs. (5) Buffalo Sabres
This was the second playoff series meeting between these two teams. Philadelphia won the only previous meeting in six games in the 1975 Stanley Cup Finals.


1977–78 NHL season, Playoffs, Semifinals, (1) Montreal Canadiens vs. (4) Toronto Maple Leafs
This was the 14th playoff series meeting between these two teams. Toronto lead 7–6 in previous meetings. Toronto won the most recent meeting in six games in the 1967 Stanley Cup Finals.


1977–78 NHL season, Playoffs, Semifinals, (2) Boston Bruins vs. (3) Philadelphia Flyers
This was the fourth playoff series meeting between these two teams. Philadelphia won two of the previous three meetings. This was the third straight semifinal meeting following Philadelphia's win in five games in 1976 and Boston's four-game sweep last season


1977–78 NHL season, Playoffs, Semifinals, (2) Boston Bruins vs. (3) Philadelphia Flyers
Game five was Fred Shero's last game as head coach of the Flyers, and Gerry Cheevers left the ice without shaking hands with any of the Flyers.


1977–78 NHL season, Playoffs, Stanley Cup Finals
This was the 17th playoff series (and their last Finals) meeting between these two teams. Montreal lead 14–2 in previous meetings. This was a rematch of last year's Stanley Cup Finals, in which Montreal won in a four-game sweep.


1977–78 NHL season, Awards
The league introduced the Frank J. Selke trophy this season. It rewards the forward judged to be the best at defensive abilities.


1977–78 NHL season, Player statistics, Scoring leaders
GP = Games Played, G = Goals, A = Assists, Pts = Points, PIM = Penalties In Minutes


1977–78 NHL season, Player statistics, Leading goaltenders
Note: GP = Games played; Min – Minutes Played; GA = Goals Against; GAA = Goals Against Average; W = Wins; L = Losses; T = Ties; SO = Shutouts


1977–78 NHL season, Debuts
The following is a list of players of note who played their first NHL game in 1977–78 (listed with their first team, asterisk(*) marks debut in playoffs):


1977–78 NHL season, Debuts
Nedomansky began his major professional career in the World Hockey Association.


1977–78 NHL season, Last games
The following is a list of players of note that played their last game in the NHL in 1977–78 (listed with their last team):


1977–78 NHL season, Last games
NOTE: Goldsworthy and Neilson would finish their major professional careers in the World Hockey Association.


1977–78 NK Rijeka season
The 1977–78 season was the 32nd season in Rijeka’s history and their 16th season in the Yugoslav First League. Their 5th place finish in the 1976–77 season meant it was their fourth successive season playing in the Yugoslav First League.


1977–78 NTFL season
The 1977/78 NTFL season was the 57th season of the Northern Territory Football League (NTFL).


1977–78 NTFL season
St Marys have won their ninth premiership title while defeating the Nth. Darwin (Palmerston) Magpies in the grand final by 23 points.


1977–78 National Basketball League season
The 1977–78 Guinness National Basketball League season was the sixth season of the National Basketball League.


1977–78 National Basketball League season
The league was sponsored by Guinness and the number of teams participating remained at ten. The Loughborough team moved to Leicester, while Exeter and Stockport replaced the Avenue and Durham teams.


1977–78 National Basketball League season
The Crystal Palace team completed a third consecutive double of National League and Cup. There were no play offs for the League during this era and the previous system of awarding one point to losing teams in the league table was scrapped.


1977–78 National Camogie League
The 1977 National Camogie League, the second most important elite level inter-county competition in the women's team field sport of camogie was won by Wexford, who defeated Cork in the final, played at Castleboro.


1977–78 National Camogie League, Arrangements
Cork, who did not compete in 1976-77, won the western zone with full points, defeating holders Tipperary, Clare, Galway and Limerick. Wexford lost in their first outing to Kilkenny, who in turn lost to Dublin, leaving all three counties on two points. In the play-offs Wexford then beat Kilkenny and Dublin but by the time these matches had been played, the final, fixed for mid-November had to be put forward to March. Wexford had beaten Cork by 3-8 to 1-3 in the open draw championship the previous July.


1977–78 National Camogie League, The Final
Bridget Doyle scored two goals as Wexford won the final by seven points. Agnes Hourigan wrote in the Irish Press:


1977–78 National Camogie League, The Final
Last year’s runners-up became champions when they defeated a youthful and dashing Cork combination. Cork took some time to settle down. They were forced to make one change in their team before the start, Hannah Cortter replacing Margaret McCarthy. They had first class defenders in Marie Mackey and Betty Joyce, Pat Riordan and Pat Moloney were staunch worker sin centre field and Margarete O'Leary was a sharp-shooting quarter. Deirdre Cousins, Dorothy and Elsie Walsh and Kit Codd did well for the winners.


1977–78 National Football League (Ireland)
The 1977–78 National Football League was the 47th staging of the National Football League (NFL), an annual Gaelic football tournament for the Gaelic Athletic Association county teams of Ireland.


1977–78 National Hurling League
The 1977–78 National Hurling League was the 47th season of the National Hurling League.


1977–78 National Hurling League, Division 1
Clare came into the season as defending champions of the 1976-77 season. Westmeath entered Division 1 as the promoted team.


1977–78 National Hurling League, Division 1
On 30 April 1978, Clare won the title after a 3-10 to 1-10 win over Kilkenny in the final. It was their third league title overall and their second in succession.


1977–78 National Hurling League, Division 1
Westmeath were relegated from Division 1 after just one season in the top flight.


1977–78 National Hurling League, Division 2
On 6 August 1978, Carlow won the title after a 1-15 to 1-7 win over Kerry in the final.


1977–78 Nationale A season
The 1977–78 Nationle A season was the 57th season of the Nationale A, the top level of ice hockey in France. 10 teams participated in the league, and Gap Hockey Club won their second league title. Hockey Club de Caen was relegated to the Nationale B.


1977–78 Nationalliga A, Overview
It was contested by 12 teams, and Grasshopper Club Zürich won the championship.


1977–78 Nationalliga A season
The 1977–78 Nationalliga A season was the 40th season of the Nationalliga A, the top level of ice hockey in Switzerland. Eight teams participated in the league, and EHC Biel won the championship.


1977–78 New England Whalers season
The 1977–78 New England Whalers season was the Whalers' sixth season of operation in the World Hockey Association (WHA). This season saw the debut of Gordie Howe and his sons with the Whalers' franchise. The trio helped the Whalers advance to the Avco Cup final, where they were defeated by the Winnipeg Jets.


1977–78 New England Whalers season, Regular season, Final standings
Note: W = Wins, L = Losses, T = Ties, GF= Goals For, GA = Goals Against, Pts = Points


1977–78 New England Whalers season, Player statistics
Note: Pos = Position; GP = Games played; G = Goals; A = Assists; Pts = Points; +/- = plus/minus; PIM = Penalty minutes; PPG = Power-play goals; SHG = Short-handed goals; GWG = Game-winning goals      MIN = Minutes played; W = Wins; L = Losses; T = Ties; GA = Goals-against; GAA = Goals-against average; SO = Shutouts;


1977–78 New England Whalers season, Draft picks
New England's draft picks at the 1977 WHA Amateur Draft.


1977–78 New Jersey Nets season
The 1977–78 New Jersey Nets season was the Nets' 11th in franchise history, their second in the NBA, and their first in New Jersey, following their relocation from nearby Long Island.


1977–78 New Orleans Jazz season
The 1977–78 New Orleans Jazz season was the team's fourth in the NBA. They began the season hoping to improve upon their 35–47 output from the previous season.


1977–78 New Orleans Jazz season
They started the season going 6-2 and later in the season with a 16-24 record, the team managed to go on a 10-game winning streak and we're still in a playoff hunt with a 36-37 record before a 6-game losing streak dashed any playoff hopes for the fourth straight season, but still they finished the season with a 3-game winning streak and improved their 35-47 one year earlier by four wins, finishing 39–43.


1977–78 New York Islanders season
The 1977–78 New York Islanders season was the sixth season for the franchise in the National Hockey League.


1977–78 New York Islanders season, Regular season, Season Standings
Note: GP = Games played, W = Wins, L = Losses, T = Ties, Pts = Points, GF = Goals for, GA = Goals againstNote: Teams that qualified for the playoffs are highlighted in bold.


1977–78 New York Islanders season, Playoffs
Round 1 (3) New York Islanders vs (6) Toronto Maple Leafs


1977–78 New York Islanders season, Player statistics
Note: Pos = Position; GP = Games played; G = Goals; A = Assists; Pts = Points; +/- = plus/minus; PIM = Penalty minutes; PPG = Power-play goals; SHG = Short-handed goals; GWG = Game-winning goals      MIN = Minutes played; W = Wins; L = Losses; T = Ties; GA = Goals-against; GAA = Goals-against average; SO = Shutouts;


1977–78 New York Knicks season
The 1977–78 New York Knicks season was the 32nd season for the team in the National Basketball Association (NBA). The Knicks finished the regular season in second place in the Atlantic Division with a 43–39 win–loss record and qualified for the NBA Playoffs. In the first round of the 1978 Playoffs, New York defeated the Cleveland Cavaliers, 2–0, to advance to the Eastern Conference Semifinals. There, the Knicks lost to the Philadelphia 76ers in a four-game sweep.


1977–78 New York Knicks season, Draft picks
Note: This is not an extensive list; it only covers the first and second rounds, and any other players picked by the franchise that played at least one game in the league.


1977–78 New York Rangers season
The 1977–78 New York Rangers season was the 52nd season of the New York Rangers franchise. The Rangers slipped to last in the Patrick but qualified for the playoffs by having one of the top twelve records in the league. The Rangers lost in the first round of the playoffs.


1977–78 New York Rangers season, Offseason
The Rangers hired Jean-Guy Talbot as their new head coach. It would be his only season as head coach of the Rangers.


1977–78 New York Rangers season, Regular season, Season standings
Note: GP = Games played, W = Wins, L = Losses, T = Ties, Pts = Points, GF = Goals for, GA = Goals againstNote: Teams that qualified for the playoffs are highlighted in bold.


1977–78 New York Rangers season, Player statistics
†Denotes player spent time with another team before joining Rangers. Stats reflect time with Rangers only. ‡Traded mid-season. Stats reflect time with Rangers only.


1977–78 New York Rangers season, Draft picks
New York's picks at the 1977 NHL amateur draft in Montreal, Quebec, Canada.


1977–78 Newport County A.F.C. season
The 1977–78 season was Newport County's 16th consecutive season in the Football League Fourth Division and their 50th season overall in the Football League. Despite the eventual lowly 16th-place finish, this season was a much-improved performance over the previous season's relegation battle. The club was actually in third place with promotion looking likely with ten games to go, but those games yielded a mere three points and County missed out again on a return to the Third Division.


1977–78 Newport County A.F.C. season, League table
P = Matches played; W = Matches won; D = Matches drawn; L = Matches lost; F = Goals for; A = Goals against; GD = Goal difference; Pts = Points


1977–78 North Carolina Tar Heels men's basketball team
The 1977–78 North Carolina Tar Heels men's basketball team represented the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill during the 1977–78 college basketball season.


1977–78 Northern Football League
The 1977–78 Northern Football League season was the 80th in the history of Northern Football League, a football competition in England.


1977–78 Northern Football League, Clubs
Division One featured 20 clubs which competed in the league last season, no new clubs joined the division this season.


1977–78 Northern Premier League
The 1977–78 Northern Premier League was the tenth season of the Northern Premier League, a regional football league in Northern England, the northern areas of the Midlands and North Wales. The season began on 21 August 1976 and concluded on 7 May 1978.


1977–78 Northern Premier League, Overview, Team changes
The following club joined the League at the start of the season:


1977–78 Northern Premier League, Cup results, Northern Premier League Shield
Between Champions of NPL Premier Division and Winners of the NPL Cup.


1977–78 Northern Premier League, Cup results, FA Cup
Out of the twenty-four clubs from the Northern Premier League, only two teams reached the second round:


1977–78 Northern Premier League, Cup results, FA Trophy
Out of the twenty-four clubs from the Northern Premier League, two teams reached the fourth round:


1977–78 Northern Premier League, End of the season
At the end of the tenth season of the Northern Premier League, Wigan Athletic who was put forward for election, received enough votes, on the second round of voting, to be promoted to the Football League. Great Harwood folded


1977–78 Northern Premier League, End of the season, Football League elections
Alongside the four Football League teams facing re-election, two non-League teams, one from the Northern Premier League and the other from the Southern League, applied to be elected. Three out of the four Football League teams were re-elected. Wigan Athletic from the Northern Premier League tied with Southport from the Football League on the first round of voting. A second round was then implemented with Wigan Athletic gaining promotion, replacing Southport from the Football League as they did not receive enough votes. Southport was subsequently relegated to the Northern Premier League.


1977–78 Northern Premier League, End of the season, Promotion and relegation
The number of clubs reduced from twenty-four clubs to twenty-three clubs for the following season.


1977–78 Northern Premier League, End of the season, Promotion and relegation
The following two clubs left the league at the end of the season:


1977–78 Northern Rugby Football League season
The 1977–78 Northern Rugby Football League season was the 83rd season of rugby league football. Sixteen English clubs competed for the Northern Rugby Football League Championship with Widnes claiming the title by finishing the season on top of the League.


1977–78 Northern Rugby Football League season, Season summary
League Champions were Widnes for the first time. Bradford Northern's last game was cancelled as Featherstone Rovers were on strike, consequently Bradford Northern finished 2nd on percentages.


1977–78 Northern Rugby Football League season, Season summary
Hull FC, New Hunslet, Bramley and Dewsbury were demoted to the Second Division.


1977–78 Northern Rugby Football League season, Season summary
John Player Trophy Winners were Warrington beating Widnes 9-4 in the final


1977–78 Northern Rugby Football League season, Season summary
Rugby League Premiership Trophy Winners were Bradford Northern beating Widnes 17-8 in the final.


1977–78 Northern Rugby Football League season, Season summary
BBC2 Floodlit Trophy Winners were Hull Kingston Rovers beating St. Helens 26-11 in the final.


1977–78 Northern Rugby Football League season, Season summary
2nd Division Champions were Leigh, and they, Barrow, Rochdale Hornets and Huddersfield were promoted to the First Division.


1977–78 Northern Rugby Football League season, Season summary
Workington Town (from Cumbria) beat Wigan 16–13 to win the Lancashire County Cup, and Castleford beat Featherstone Rovers 17–7 to win the Yorkshire County Cup.


1977–78 Northern Rugby Football League season, Challenge Cup
Leeds beat St Helens 14-12 in the final played at Wembley Stadium on Saturday 13 May 1978 before a crowd of 96,000.


1977–78 Northern Rugby Football League season, Challenge Cup
This was Leeds’ eleventh Cup Final win in fifteen appearances and their second in successive years.


1977–78 Northern Rugby Football League season, Statistics
The following are the top points scorers in the 1977–78 season.


1977–78 Norwegian 1. Divisjon season
The 1977–78 Norwegian 1. Divisjon season was the 39th season of ice hockey in Norway. Ten teams participated in the league, and Manglerud Star won the championship.


1977–78 Notre Dame Fighting Irish men's basketball team
The 1977–78 Notre Dame Fighting Irish men's basketball team represented the University of Notre Dame during the 1977–78 NCAA men's basketball season. The team was led by head coach Digger Phelps and played their home games at the Joyce Center.


1977–78 Notre Dame Fighting Irish men's basketball team
Notre Dame entered the season with high expectations, as they opened with an AP preseason ranking of No. 4. Battle tested from a challenging schedule, the Irish earned a spot in the 1978 NCAA Tournament and played their way to the first Final Four appearance in school history.


1977–78 Nottingham Forest F.C. season
The 1977–78 season was Nottingham Forest's first year back in the First Division since their relegation in 1972. They had finished third in the Second Division the previous season to earn promotion.


1977–78 Nottingham Forest F.C. season, Summary
Forest's credentials at the start of the season did not appear to be especially impressive. Promotion from Division Two in 1976–77 had been achieved only by the skin of their teeth and the squad of players was a mixture of underachievers, journeymen and inexperienced youngsters. Many pundits tipped them to struggle. However, Brian Clough and Peter Taylor had already proved at Derby County that they were capable of blending a winning formula from apparently limited resources and they would now do so again.


1977–78 Nottingham Forest F.C. season, Summary
No player epitomised Forest's success more than Kenny Burns, who arrived for £150,000 in pre-season from Birmingham City where he had acquired something of a 'wild man' reputation. Having spent several years playing as a forward, Burns was converted back to the defensive role where he had begun his career and although it took a few matches for him to settle he ended the season by being voted Footballer of the Year.


1977–78 Nottingham Forest F.C. season, Summary
Forest confounded the critics from the outset, registering three straight league wins to top the first table of the season and thrashing West Ham United 5–0 in the second round of the League Cup. Although their 100% record ended with a 3–0 defeat at Arsenal, Forest won the next three and ended September second in the table behind Manchester City on goal difference. A 4–0 win over Ipswich Town at the beginning of October (Peter Withe scoring all four) restored them to the top of the table and there they stayed for the rest of the season. After a slight hiccup in November saw them lose consecutive away matches at Chelsea and Leeds United they went unbeaten in their remaining 26 league fixtures and were confirmed as champions following a goalless draw at Coventry City in April.


1977–78 Nottingham Forest F.C. season, Summary
Two further additions had been made to the playing squad in the early weeks of the season. Peter Shilton was signed from Stoke City for £325,000, then a record transfer fee for a goalkeeper, and Archie Gemmill joined from Derby in a deal that also saw Shilton's predecessor John Middleton move in the opposite direction. Middleton had conceded six goals in Forest's opening five league matches - Shilton would concede only 18 in the remaining 37. In December, Forest bought David Needham from Queens Park Rangers for £140,000 to add depth to the defence. Nevertheless, they used just 17 players during the season, one of whom (teenage reserve goalkeeper Chris Woods) only appeared in the League Cup as cover for the cup-tied Shilton.


1977–78 Nottingham Forest F.C. season, Summary
Forest's League Cup run saw them score 23 goals in just six matches en route to facing Liverpool in the final at Wembley where Woods performed heroics to keep the reigning league and European champions at bay and earn Forest a goalless draw. Liverpool also had the better of the replay at Old Trafford but a controversial penalty converted by John Robertson was enough to give Forest their first piece of major silverware since the FA Cup in 1959. A clean sweep of domestic trophies looked a distinct possibility until defeat at West Bromwich Albion in the FA Cup quarter-final.


1977–78 Nottingham Forest F.C. season, Players, Squad Stats
The statistics for the following players are for their time during 1977–78 season playing for Nottingham Forest. Any stats from a different club during 1977-78 are not included. Includes all competitive matches.


1977–78 Nottingham Forest F.C. season, Matches
A list of Nottingham Forest's matches in the 1977–78 season.


1977–78 OB I bajnoksag season
The 1977–78 OB I bajnokság season was the 41st season of the OB I bajnokság, the top level of ice hockey in Hungary. Four teams participated in the league, and Ferencvarosi TC won the championship.


1977–78 OMJHL season
The 1977–78 OMJHL season was the fourth season of the Ontario Major Junior Hockey League (OMJHL). The Fincups franchise moved back from St. Catharines to Hamilton after a temporary year away from the city due to lack of a suitable arena. The league featured a wealth of scoring talent during the season, with two players recording the league's highest single season point totals. Third season veteran Bobby Smith, edged 17-year-old rookie Wayne Gretzky for the Eddie Powers Memorial Trophy, scoring 192 points. Twelve teams each played 68 games. The Peterborough Petes won the J. Ross Robertson Cup, defeating the Hamilton Fincups.


1977–78 OMJHL season, League business
Hosting duties for the Memorial Cup rotated among the three constituent leagues of the Canadian Major Junior Hockey League CMJHL), since its founding in 1975. OMJHL commissioner Tubby Schmalz announced that two Northern Ontario cities were chosen by the OMJHL to co-host the 1978 Memorial Cup in Sudbury and Sault Ste. Marie.


1977–78 OMJHL season, League business
In February 1978, Iona Campagnolo, the Minister of State of Fitness and Amateur Sport released a report which claimed that junior hockey functioned in the best interests of professional hockey instead of the players. Schmalz said that the CMJHL would welcome a study into its player development programs, if given a say on selecting the inquiry members. He stated an inquiry would reveal that the CMJHL was doing its best for the welfare of the players. He highlighted its academic standards, and stated that the OMJHL fined players who missed classes, suspended players who did not keep up with the workload.


1977–78 OMJHL season, League business
The CMJHL expressed frustration with the 1978 WHA Amateur Draft being held during the junior season and four months earlier than the 1978 NHL Amateur Draft. The league was concerned that its players would be pursued for professional contracts while playing junior hockey, despite the names of drafted players not being released. The league considered having the Canadian Amateur Hockey Association use its International Ice Hockey Federation membership as leverage to block World Hockey Association (WHA) exhibition games against international teams and force the WHA to negotiate. In May 1978, Schmalz stated that the continued signing of junior-aged players by the WHA would mean forfeiture of a $150,000 bond paid as a promise not to sign players before November.


1977–78 OMJHL season, Playoffs, Quarterfinals
Ottawa 67's defeat Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds 4–3, 1 tie


1977–78 PAOK FC season
The 1977–78 season was PAOK Football Club's 52nd in existence and the club's 19th consecutive season in the top flight of Greek football. The team entered the Greek Football Cup in first round and also participated in the UEFA Cup Winners' Cup.


1977–78 PAOK FC season, Players, Squad
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.


1977–78 PAOK FC season, Statistics, Squad statistics
Appearances denote players in the starting lineup, with the numbers in parentheses denoting appearances as substitute.


1977–78 Paris Saint-Germain F.C. season
The 1977–78 season was Paris Saint-Germain's 8th season in existence. PSG mainly played their home league games at the Parc des Princes in Paris, but once at the Stade de Paris in Saint-Ouen-sur-Seine as well, registering an average attendance of 21,754 spectators per match. The club was presided by Daniel Hechter until January 1978, when Francis Borelli became the new president. The team was coached by player-manager Jean-Michel Larqué. Mustapha Dahleb was the team captain.


1977–78 Paris Saint-Germain F.C. season
In January 1978, Daniel Hechter was banned for life from football by the French Football Federation for running a ticketing scheme at Parc des Princes. On January 8, 1978, PSG beat Marseille 5–1 in his final match at the stadium as club president. Mustapha Dahleb offered Hechter the match ball after the final whistle and was then carried in triumph by the players while the fans in attendance chanted his name. The next day, Francis Borelli, who had been vice-president until then, became the new president. Carlos Bianchi, who arrived to Paris in June 1977, was Hechter's last big signing. The Argentine striker scored 37 goals in 38 league matches.


1977–78 Paris Saint-Germain F.C. season, Players, Squad
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.


1977–78 Paris Saint-Germain F.C. season, Players, Out on loan
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.


1977–78 Paris Saint-Germain F.C. season, Transfers, Arrivals
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.


1977–78 Paris Saint-Germain F.C. season, Transfers, Departures
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.


1977–78 Paris Saint-Germain F.C. season, Kits
French radio RTL was the shirt sponsor. American sportswear brand Pony was the kit manufacturer.


1977–78 Philadelphia 76ers season
The 1977–78 NBA season was the 76ers 29th season in the NBA and 15th season in Philadelphia. The team finished the regular season with a record of 55–27. Head coach Gene Shue was replaced only 6 games into the season, by former Sixers player Billy Cunningham, who was only 34 years old at the time he replaced Shue. In the playoffs, the Sixers would sweep the New York Knicks, but lose in the Eastern Conference Finals to the Washington Bullets, a team with 11 fewer wins, 4 games to 2.


1977–78 Philadelphia 76ers season
Following the season, George McGinnis was traded to the Denver Nuggets for Bobby Jones and World B. Free was dealt to the San Diego Clippers for a 1984 first round draft pick which would become Charles Barkley.


1977–78 Philadelphia Flyers season
The 1977–78 Philadelphia Flyers season was the Philadelphia Flyers' 11th season in the National Hockey League (NHL).


1977–78 Philadelphia Flyers season, Regular season
The Flyers lost their hold on the Patrick Division in 1977–78 and settled for second place.


1977–78 Philadelphia Flyers season, Regular season
Tom Bladon's 8 points (4 goals and 4 assists) in a game against the Cleveland Barons on December 11 set an NHL record for a defenseman.


1977–78 Philadelphia Flyers season, Regular season, Season standings
Note: GP = Games played, W = Wins, L = Losses, T = Ties, Pts = Points, GF = Goals for, GA = Goals againstNote: Teams that qualified for the playoffs are highlighted in bold.


1977–78 Philadelphia Flyers season, Playoffs
After sweeping the Colorado Rockies in 2 games in the preliminary round, the Flyers moved on and beat Buffalo in five games. They faced Boston in the semi-finals for the second consecutive season, and lost again, this time in five games.


1977–78 Philadelphia Flyers season, Transactions
The Flyers were involved in the following transactions from May 15, 1977, the day after the deciding game of the 1977 Stanley Cup Finals, through May 25, 1978, the day of the deciding game of the 1978 Stanley Cup Finals.


1977–78 Philadelphia Flyers season, Transactions, Signings, Free agency
The following players were signed by the Flyers via free agency.


1977–78 Philadelphia Flyers season, Transactions, Signings, Internal
The following players were either re-signed by the Flyers or, in the case of the team's selections in the NHL Entry Draft, signed to contracts.


1977–78 Philadelphia Flyers season, Transactions, Waivers
The Flyers were not involved in any waivers transactions. The 1977 NHL Waiver Draft was held on October 10, 1977. The Flyers protected the following players: goaltenders Bernie Parent and Wayne Stephenson, and skaters Bill Barber, Tom Bladon, Mel Bridgman, Bobby Clarke, Bob Dailey, Barry Dean, Gary Dornhoefer, Paul Holmgren, Bob Kelly, Orest Kindrachuk, Rick Lapointe, Reggie Leach, Ross Lonsberry, Rick MacLeish, Don Saleski, Jimmy Watson, and Joe Watson.


1977–78 Philadelphia Flyers season, Transactions, Departures
The following players left the team via free agency, release, or retirement. Players who were under contract and left the team during the season are marked with an asterisk (*).


1977–78 Philadelphia Flyers season, Draft picks
Philadelphia's picks at the 1977 NHL amateur draft, which was held at the NHL's office in Montreal, Quebec, on June 14, 1977.


1977–78 Philadelphia Flyers season, Farm teams
The Flyers were affiliated with the Maine Mariners of the AHL and the Philadelphia Firebirds of the NAHL.


1977–78 Phoenix Suns season
The 1977–78 Phoenix Suns season was the tenth season for the Phoenix Suns of the National Basketball Association. The team finished second in a Pacific division that did not have a team finish below .500, as the Suns returned to the playoffs for the third time in franchise history. The Suns were led by head coach John MacLeod and played all home games in Arizona Veterans Memorial Coliseum.


1977–78 Phoenix Suns season
Both Paul Westphal and Walter Davis, a rookie from the University of North Carolina, were selected to participate in the All-Star Game and by the end of the season, both were members of the All-NBA Second Team. Davis became the second Sun in three years to be selected as Rookie of the Year, an award teammate Alvan Adams had collected after the 1975–76 season.


1977–78 Phoenix Suns season
Both Westphal and rookie Davis averaged career-highs in scoring, averaging 25.2 and 24.2 points a game. The combined averaged of 49.4 points made for the league's highest-scoring duo on the season. Additionally, Westphal and Davis broke a franchise record of 45.9 points a game, a mark set by Connie Hawkins and Dick Van Arsdale during the 1969–70 season.


1977–78 Phoenix Suns season, Offseason, NBA Draft
The Suns used their first-round pick to select swingman Walter Davis from North Carolina. Davis averaged 15.7 points, 5.6 rebounds and 3.4 assists per game in four years with the Tar Heels. He would make an immediate impact with the Suns, helping the team make a 15-game improvement and return to the playoffs. Averaging 24.2 points, 6.0 rebounds and 3.4 assists per game his first season, Davis was named Rookie of the Year, receiving 49 1/4 of 66 votes.


1977–78 Phoenix Suns season, Offseason, NBA Draft
He would also be named to the All-NBA Second Team, and would finish fifth in Most Valuable Player voting, behind winner Bill Walton, George Gervin, David Thompson and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. Davis spent his first eleven seasons with the Suns before joining the Denver Nuggets as the league's second unrestricted free agent in 1988. He left as the Suns' all-time leading scorer (15,666 points), and had his #6 jersey retired by the franchise in 1994.


1977–78 Pittsburgh Penguins season
The 1977–78 Pittsburgh Penguins season was their 11th in the National Hockey League. They finished fourth in the Norris Division, thus did not qualify for the Stanley Cup playoffs. This was their worst regular season since 1974, with only 68 points, and the first time since 1974 that the Penguins did not qualify for the playoffs.


1977–78 Pittsburgh Penguins season, Off-season
In the off-season head coach Ken Schinkel was replaced by former Kings, Red Wings and Rockies head coach Johnny Wilson. Veterans Vic Hadfield and Ed Van Impe retired. Defensive forward J. Bob Kelly's contract ended and he took his services to Chicago, while Captain Ron Schock was traded to the Sabres (Jean Pronovost was named captain in his place).


1977–78 Pittsburgh Penguins season, Regular season
In an attempt to replace Kelly general manager Baz Bastien acquired former Flyer enforcer Dave Schultz early in the season, but the price was high: Syl Apps, Jr., one of the team's all-time leading scorers. Schultz was traded the following season.


1977–78 Pittsburgh Penguins season, Regular season
Frustrated with the performance of talented winger Pierre Larouche, Bastien dealt the 22-year-old to the Montreal Canadiens for veteran Pete Mahovlich and prospect Peter Lee on November 29, 1977. Larouche would go on to win two Stanley Cup championships with the Canadiens, while Mahovlich was traded to the Red Wings less than two years later. Lee would fail to live up to his promise, scoring an average of only 0.57 points per game over the course of six seasons with the Penguins.


1977–78 Pittsburgh Penguins season, Regular season
The high roster turnover, particularly from three of the previous season's top five scorers, contributed to the Penguins missing the playoffs for the first time in four seasons.


1977–78 Pittsburgh Penguins season, Regular season, Division standings
Note: GP = Games played, W = Wins, L = Losses, T = Ties, Pts = Points, GF = Goals for, GA = Goals against


1977–78 Pittsburgh Penguins season, Regular season, Division standings
Note: Teams that qualified for the playoffs are highlighted in bold.


1977–78 Pittsburgh Penguins season, Playoffs
The Penguins failed to make the playoffs for the first time since the 1973–74 season, ending their three season playoff streak.


1977–78 Pittsburgh Penguins season, Player statistics
†Denotes player spent time with another team before joining the Penguins. Stats reflect time with the Penguins only. ‡Denotes player was traded mid-season. Stats reflect time with the Penguins only.


1977–78 Pittsburgh Penguins season, Transactions
The Penguins were involved in the following transactions during the 1977–78 season:


1977–78 Pittsburgh Penguins season, Draft picks
The 1977 NHL amateur draft was held in Montreal, Quebec.


1977–78 Polska Liga Hokejowa season
The 1977–78 Polska Liga Hokejowa season was the 43rd season of the Polska Liga Hokejowa, the top level of ice hockey in Poland. 10 teams participated in the league, and Podhale Nowy Targ won the championship.