| Competition: | 1. Liga |
| Season: | 1978–79 |
| Winners: | 1. Liga champions: FC Raron Group 1: FC Raron Group 2: SR Delémont Group 3: SV Muttenz Group 4: FC Locarno |
| Promoted: | FC Raron FC Baden |
| Relegated: | Group 1: Yverdon-Sport FC FC Le Locle Group 2: FC Dürrenast FC Rapid Ostermundigen Group 3: FC Red Star Zürich FC Concordia Basel Group 4: FC Chur US Giubiasco |
| Matches: | 4 times 182 plus 13 play-offs |
| Prevseason: | 1977–78 |
| Nextseason: | 1979–80 |
The 1978–79 1. Liga was the 47th season of this league since its creation in 1931. At this time, the 1. Liga was the third tier of the Swiss football league system and it was the highest level of amateur football.
There were 56 clubs in the 1. Liga. These were divided into four regional groups, each with 14 teams. Within each group, the teams would play a double round-robin to decide their league position. Two points were awarded for a win. The four group winners and the four runners-up contested a play-off round to decide the two promotion slots. The two last placed teams in each group were directly relegated to the 2. Liga (fourth tier).
| Club | Canton | Stadium | Capacity | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| FC Boudry[1] | Neuchâtel | Stade des Buchilles | ||
| FC Leytron[2] | Valais | Stade Saint-Martin | ||
| FC Le Locle[3] | Neuchâtel | Installation sportive - Jeanneret | ||
| ES FC Malley | Vaud | Centre sportif de la Tuilière | ||
| FC Martigny-Sports | Valais | Stade d'Octodure | ||
| FC Meyrin | Geneva | Stade des Arbères | ||
| FC Monthey | Valais | Stade Philippe Pottier | ||
| FC Orbe[4] | Vaud | Stade du Puisoir | ||
| FC Raron[5] | Valais | Sportplatz Rhoneglut | ||
| FC Renens[6] | Waadt | Zone sportive du Censuy | ||
| FC Stade Lausanne | Vaud | Centre sportif de Vidy | ||
| FC Stade Nyonnais | Vaud | Stade de Colovray | ||
| FC Visp[7] | Valais | Sportplatz Mühleye | ||
| Yverdon-Sport FC | Vaud | Stade Municipal | ||
| Club | Canton | Stadium | Capacity |
|---|---|---|---|
| FC Aurore Bienne[8] | Bern | Tilleul-Linde | |
| US Boncourt[9] | Jura | Stade Communal Léon Burrus | |
| FC Bulle | Fribourg | Stade de Bouleyres | |
| FC Central Fribourg[10] | Fribourg | Guintzet | |
| SR Delémont | Jura | La Blancherie | |
| SC Derendingen[11] | Solothurn | Heidenegg | |
| FC Dürrenast[12] | Bern | Stadion Lachen | |
| FC Fétigny[13] | Fribourg | Stade Communal Fétigny | |
| FC Herzogenbuchsee[14] | Bern | Waldäcker | |
| FC Köniz[15] | Bern | Sportplatz Liebefeld-Hessgut | |
| FC Laufen | Basel-Country | Sportplatz Nau | |
| FC Lerchenfeld[16] | canton of Bern | Sportanlagen Waldeck | |
| FC Rapid Ostermundigen[17] [18] | Bern | Oberfeld | |
| FC Solothurn | Solothurn | Stadion FC Solothurn | |
| Club | Canton | Stadium | Capacity |
|---|---|---|---|
| FC Allschwil[19] | Basel-Country | Im Brüel, Allschwil | |
| FC Baden | Aargau | Esp Stadium | |
| FC Birsfelden[20] | Basel-Country | Sternenfeld | |
| FC Blue Stars Zürich[21] | Zürich | Hardhof | |
| SC Brühl | St. Gallen | Paul-Grüninger-Stadion | |
| FC Concordia Basel | Basel-City | Stadion Rankhof | |
| FC Glattbrugg[22] | Zürich | Sportanlage Au | |
| FC Gossau | St. Gallen | Sportanlage Buechenwald | |
| SV Muttenz | Basel-Country | Sportplatz Margelacker | |
| FC Red Star Zürich | Zürich | Allmend Brunau | |
| FC Schaffhausen | Schaffhausen | Stadion Breite | |
| FC Suhr[23] | Aargau | Hofstattmatten | |
| FC Turicum[24] | Zürich | Hardhof | |
| FC Unterstrass[25] | Zürich | Steinkluppe | |
| Club | Canton | Stadium | Capacity |
|---|---|---|---|
| FC Balzers |  Liechtenstein | Sportplatz Rheinau | |
| FC Chur | Grisons | Ringstrasse | |
| SC Emmen[26] | Lucerne | Sportanlage Feldbreite | |
| FC Emmenbrücke | Lucerne | Stadion Gersag | |
| US Giubiasco[27] | Ticino | Campo Semine | |
| FC Ibach | Schwyz | Gerbihof | |
| FC Locarno | Locarno, Ticino | ||
| Mendrisiostar | Ticino | Centro Sportivo Comunale | |
| FC Morbio[28] | Ticino | Campo comunale Balerna | |
| FC Rüti[29] | Zürich | Schützenwiese | |
| FC Stäfa[30] | Zürich | Sportanlage Frohberg | |
| FC Vaduz | Liechtenstein | Rheinpark Stadion | |
| FC Zug | Zug | Herti Allmend Stadion | |
| SC Zug | Zug | Herti Allmend Stadion | |
FC Ibach win 6–2 on aggregate and continue to the semi-finals. FC Baden win 3–2 on aggregate and continue to the semi-finals. FC Raron win 4–2 on aggregate and continue to the semi-finals. SR Delémont win 4–2 on aggregate and continue to the semi-finals.
FC Raron win 6–2 on aggregate and are promoted to 1979–80 Nationalliga B. FC Ibach remain in the division. FC Baden win 2–1 on aggregate and are promoted to 1979–80 Nationalliga B. SR Delémont remain in the division.
The final was played on 1 July in Baden. FC Raron win and became 1. Liga champions.