The NBC College Football Game of the Week refers to nationally televised broadcasts of Saturday afternoon college football games in the 1950s and 1960s that were produced by NBC Sports, the sports division of the NBC television network in the United States. Bowl games were always exempt from the NCAA's television regulations, and the games' organizers were free to sign rights deals with any network. In NBC's case, the 1952 Rose Bowl at the end of that particular season was the first national telecast of a college bowl game.

Background NBC first televised college football on September 30, 1939. NBC broadcast the game between Waynesburg and Fordham on station W2XBS (which would eventually become NBC's flagship station, WNBC) with one camera and Bill Stern was the sole announcer. Estimates are that the broadcast reached approximately 1,000 television sets. Twelve years later, the first live regular season college football game to be broadcast coast-to-coast aired on NBC. The game in question, was Duke at the Pittsburgh on September 29, 1951.

Pretty soon on June 6, 1952, NBC Head of Sport Tom Gallery led negotiations towards a one-year football contract (for $1,144,000) with the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA). The contract incidentally came about after the 1951 NCAA convention voted 161-7 to outlaw televised games except for those licensed by the NCAA staff. The deal allowed NBC to select one game a week to broadcast on Saturday afternoons, with the assurance that no other NCAA college football broadcast would appear on a competitive network. In the first college football game to be broadcast under this new NCAA television contract, on September 20, Kansas defeated TCU 13–0.

By 1953, the NCAA allowed NBC to add what it called "panorama" coverage of multiple regional broadcasts for certain weeks – shifting national viewers to the most interesting game during its telecast. After NBC lost its college football contract following the 1953 season, they carried Canadian football in 1954. NBC regained college football rights in 1955 and aired games through the 1959 season. NBC regained the NCAA contract for the 1964 and 1965 seasons.

Even after losing the rights to regular season college football in both 1959 and 1965, NBC continued to carry postseason football. NBC carried the Blue–Gray Football Classic, an all-star game, on Christmas Day, until dropping the game in 1963 as a protest of the game's policy of segregation. It consistently served as the Rose Bowl's television home until 1988 and added the Sugar Bowl from 1958 to 1969 (which replaced the network's coverage of the Cotton Bowl Classic).

Commentators

Play-by-play

Mel Allen (1952–58) Lee Giroux (1956) Chick Hearn (1957–58, 1965) Lindsey Nelson (1953, 1955–59, 1964–65) Jim Simpson (1957)

Color commentary Frankie Albert (1965; with Chick Hearn) Terry Brennan (1964–65; with Lindsey Nelson) Leo Durocher (1956; with Lee Giroux on west coast regional games) Bill Flemming (1957–58; with Mel Allen) Lee Giroux (1957–58; with Chick Hearn) Curt Gowdy (1958; with Mel Allen) Red Grange (1955–59; with Lindsey Nelson) Charley Harville (1957; with Jim Simpson on southeast games) Bill Henry (1952) Bill Munday (1953; with Lindsey Nelson) Lindsey Nelson (1953; with Mel Allen) Bill Voights (1956; with Mel Allen on midwest regional games) Bud Wilkinson (1964–65; with Lindsey Nelson)

Schedules

All rankings are from that week's AP Poll

1952 Mel Allen and Bill Henry served as the primary broadcast crew.

DateTeamsTime (ET)September 20#9 TCU at #17 Kansas3:45 p.m.September 27#12 Princeton at Columbia1:25 p.m.October 4Michigan at Stanford4:40 p.m.October 11Texas A&M at #2 Michigan State1:45 p.m. October 18Cornell at Yale1:45 p.m.October 25Purdue at Illinois2:15 p.m.November 1Ohio State at Northwestern2:15 p.m.November 8#4 Oklahoma at #10 Notre Dame2:15 p.m.November 15#12 Alabama at #2 Georgia Tech2:15 p.m.November 22#4 UCLA at #3 USC4:45 p.m.November 29Army vs. Navy at Philadelphia, PA1:00 p.m.

1953 Mel Allen and Lindsey Nelson served as the primary broadcast crew.

DateTeamsTime (ET)September 19Oregon at Nebraska3:45 p.m.September 26Dartmouth vs. Holy Cross at Lynn, MA1:45 p.m. October 3 #6 Ohio State at California4:45 p.m. October 10#16 Oklahoma vs. #15 Texas as Dallas, TX 2:30 p.m.October 17Tennessee at Alabama2:45 p.m.October 24Cornell at PrincetonArkansas vs. Ole Miss at Memphis, TNSyracuse at #7 IllinoisIndiana at Iowa2:45 p.m.October 31Pittsburgh at #14 Minnesota2:45 p.m.November 7Georgia at FloridaWisconsin at NorthwesternKansas at Kansas State2:45 p.m. November 14Michigan at #4 Michigan State1:15 p.m.November 21#5 UCLA at #9 USC4:15 p.m.November 26BYU at Utah2:45 p.m.November 28#18 Army vs. Navy at Philadelphia, PA1:15 p.m.December 5SMU at #2 Notre Dame2:00 p.m.

1955 Lindsey Nelson and Red Grange served as the primary broadcast crew.

DateTeamsTime (ET)September 17#9 Miami (FL) at #10 Georgia Tech3:15 p.m.September 24#7 Pittsburgh at Syracuse1:15 p.m.October 1#8 Ohio State at Stanford4:45 p.m. October 8Villanova at Boston College1:45 p.m.October 15#4 Notre Dame at #13 Michigan State2:45 p.m. October 22Princeton at Cornell#14 Colorado at #3 Oklahoma1:45 p.m.October 29Iowa at #3 Michigan2:15 p.m.November 5#6 Notre Dame at Penn1:15 p.m.November 12#13 Navy at Columbia1:15 p.m.November 19#5 UCLA at USC4:15 p.m.November 24Texas at #8 Texas A&M2:00 p.m.November 26Army vs. #11 Navy at Philadelphia, PA1:15 p.m.December 3North Carolina at Duke1:45 p.m.

1956 Lindsey Nelson and Red Grange served as the primary broadcast crew.

DateTeamsTime (ET)September 22#4 Georgia Tech at Kentucky3:00 p.m.September 29Cornell at ColgateUCLA at #13 MichiganIowa at Indiana1:45 p.m.October 6Arkansas at #8 TCU4:00 p.m.October 13Holy Cross at Penn State#5 Ohio State at IllinoisCalifornia at Oregon State1:45 p.m.October 20Army at #13 Syracuse#2 Michigan State at Notre DameWashington at #9 USC1:45 p.m. October 27#2 Oklahoma at Notre Dame2:45 p.m.November 3Notre Dame vs. Navy at Baltimore, MDIllinois at PurdueOregon at California1:45 p.m.November 10#15 Iowa at #6 Minnesota2:15 p.m.November 17#20 Princeton at Yale#3 Michigan State at #10 MichiganWashington at Stanford1:45 p.m. November 22Cornell at Penn1:45 p.m.November 24USC at UCLA4:15 p.m. December 1Army vs. #13 Navy at Philadelphia, PA1:15 p.m.December 8#13 Pittsburgh at #6 Miami (FL)2:15 p.m.

1957 Lindsey Nelson and Red Grange served as the primary broadcast crew. On October 12 and 26 and November 9, 23 and 28, NBC showed regional games with Mel Allen/Bill Flemming (midwest), Jim Simpson/Charley Harville (southeast), and Chick Hearn/Lee Giroux (west).

DateTeamsTime (ET)September 21Maryland vs. #2 Texas A&M at Dallas, TX 4:45 p.m.September 28Northwestern at #16 Stanford4:45 p.m.October 5#2 Michigan State at California5:15 p.m.October 12#12 Notre Dame vs. #10 Army at Philadelphia, PAWake Forest at MarylandIllinois at Ohio StateIowa State at KansasWashington at UCLA1:45 p.m.October 19#4 Minnesota at Illinois2:15 p.m.October 26Penn State at Syracuse#4 Duke at #11 NC State#14 Minnesota at #20 MichiganWashington State at USC1:15 p.m. November 2#3 Iowa at #12 Michigan1:15 p.m.November 9#16 Duke vs. #7 Navy at Baltimore, MDNorth Carolina at South Carolina1:45 p.m.November 16Notre Dame at #2 Oklahoma2:45 p.m.November 23Harvard at YaleNorth Carolina at #11 Duke#9 Notre Dame at #8 IowaMissouri at Kansas1:15 p.m.November 28Colgate at Brown#4 Texas A&M at TexasWyoming at Denver1:15 p.m. November 30#10 Army vs. #8 Navy at Philadelphia, PA1:15 p.m.December 7Pittsburgh at Miami (FL)3:45 p.m.

1958 DateTeamsTime (ET)September 20Vanderbilt at MissouriOklahoma State at Denver4:45 p.m.September 27Tennessee at #3 Auburn4:45 p.m. October 4Washington State at California4:45 p.m.October 11#5 Ohio State at Illinois2:15 p.m. October 18Penn State at Boston University#13 Iowa at #4 WisconsinUCLA at Washington1:15 p.m.October 25#1 Army at Pittsburgh#11 Notre Dame at #15 PurdueWashington State at USC1:15 p.m.November 1Michigan State at #8 Wisconsin1:15 p.m.November 8#14 Notre Dame at PittsburghMichigan at IllinoisStanford at Oregon1:15 p.m.November 15Princeton at Yale#20 Northwestern at #8 PurdueOregon State at Stanford1:15 p.m. November 22#15 Notre Dame at #6 Iowa2:15 p.m. November 27Texas A&M at Texas2:45 p.m. November 29#5 Army vs. Navy at Philadelphia, PA1:15 p.m.December 6Holy Cross at Boston College1:15 p.m.

1959 DateTeamsTime (ET)September 19Rice at #1 LSU4:45 p.m.September 26#2 Oklahoma at #10 Northwestern3:15 p.m.October 3California at #10 Texas5:15 p.m.October 10Penn at Princeton#10 Iowa at Michigan State1:45 p.m.October 17Notre Dame at Michigan State2:15 p.m.October 24#15 Iowa at #14 Purdue3:15 p.m.October 31Air Force vs. Army at Bronx, NYIndiana at #2 Northwestern1:45 p.m.November 7 (Doubleheader)Pittsburgh at Boston College#18 Air Force at Missouri1:15 p.m.4:00 p.m.November 14Pittsburgh at Notre Dame#7 Wisconsin at Illinois1:15 p.m.November 21#9 Wisconsin at Minnesota2:15 p.m.November 26North Carolina at Duke1:45 p.m. November 28Army vs. Navy at Philadelphia, PA1:15 p.m.December 5#1 Syracuse at #17 UCLA3:45 p.m.

1964 DateTeamsSeptember 12UCLA at PittsburghSeptember 19#10 Navy at Penn StateSMU at FloridaKansas State at WisconsinStanford at Washington StateSeptember 26Nebraska at MinnesotaOctober 3Syracuse at Holy Cross#10 Washington at IowaTCU at ArkansasColorado State at Air ForceOctober 10Oklahoma at #1 TexasOctober 17USC at #2 Ohio StateOctober 24Dartmouth at HarvardMinnesota at MichiganTennessee at #7 LSUIowa State at MissouriOctober 31Pittsburgh at SyracuseNC State at South CarolinaRice at Texas TechAir Force at ArizonaNovember 7Illinois at MichiganNovember 14Michigan State at #1 Notre DameNovember 21Cornell at PrincetonDuke at North CarolinaMichigan State at IllinoisUSC at UCLANovember 26Auburn at #2 AlabamaNovember 28Army at NavyDecember 5Ole Miss at Mississippi State

1965 DateTeamsSeptember 11Tulsa at HoustonSeptember 18#5 Alabama at GeorgiaKansas State at IndianaArizona at Utah#3 Notre Dame at CaliforniaSeptember 25Iowa at Oregon StateOctober 2Ohio State at WashingtonOctober 9Pittsburgh at DukeOctober 16#1 Texas at #3 ArkansasOctober 23#4 USC at #7 Notre DameOctober 30Duke at Georgia TechIllinois at #6 Purdue#7 Florida at AuburnIdaho at OregonNovember 6Air Force at Army in Chicago#5 Alabama at LSUBaylor at TexasNovember 13Cornell at DartmouthMinnesota at PurdueOle Miss at #8 Tennessee#7 UCLA at StanfordNovember 20Harvard at YaleOhio State at Michigan#9 Texas Tech at #2 Arkansas#7 Missouri at KansasNovember 25Oklahoma at #3 NebraskaNovember 27Army vs. Navy in PhiladelphiaDecember 4Penn State at Maryland

See also College Football on NBC Sports College football on television Notre Dame Football on NBC NBC college bowl game broadcasts

References