| Competition: | 1. Liga |
| Season: | 1977–78 |
| Winners: | 1. Liga champions: FC Frauenfeld Group 1: FC Stade Lausanne Group 2: FC Bern Group 3: FC Frauenfeld Group 4: Mendrisiostar |
| Promoted: | FC Frauenfeld FC Bern |
| Relegated: | Group 1: FC Onex Concordia Lausanne Group 2: FC Herzogenbuchsee FC Bettlach Group 3: FC Uzwil FC Turgi Group 4: SC Buochs FC Brunnen |
| Matches: | 4 times 182 and 4 deciders plus 14 play-offs |
| Prevseason: | 1976–77 |
| Nextseason: | 1978–79 |
The 1977–78 1. Liga was the 46th 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 Central Fribourg[1] | Fribourg | Guintzet | ||
| FC Concordia Lausanne[2] | Vaud | Centre sportif de la Tuilière | ||
| FC Fétigny[3] | Fribourg | Stade Communal Fétigny | ||
| FC Leytron[4] | Valais | Stade Saint-Martin | ||
| 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 Onex[5] | Geneva | Stade municipal d'Onex | ||
| FC Orbe[6] | Vaud | Stade du Puisoir | ||
| FC Raron[7] | Valais | Sportplatz Rhoneglut | ||
| FC Renens[8] | Waadt | Zone sportive du Censuy | ||
| FC Stade Lausanne | Vaud | Centre sportif de Vidy | ||
| FC Stade Nyonnais | Vaud | Stade de Colovray | ||
The decider was played on 4 June in Morges. The game was drawn, however, at this time, extra-time in matches had not yet been introduced. FC Monthey were declared winners due to goal-average of the regular season. Therefore, they remained in the division and FC Onex were relegated to 2. Liga Interregional.
| Club | Canton | Stadium | Capacity |
|---|---|---|---|
| ASI Audax-Friul[9] | Neuchâtel | Pierre-à-Bot | |
| FC Aurore Bienne[10] | Bern | Tilleul-Linde | |
| FC Bern | Bern | Stadion Neufeld | |
| FC Bettlach[11] | Solothurn | Neufeld | |
| US Boncourt[12] | Jura | Stade Communal Léon Burrus | |
| FC Boudry[13] | Neuchâtel | Stade des Buchilles | |
| SR Delémont | Jura | La Blancherie | |
| SC Derendingen[14] | Solothurn | Heidenegg | |
| FC Dürrenast[15] | Bern | Stadion Lachen | |
| FC Herzogenbuchsee[16] | Bern | Waldäcker | |
| FC Köniz[17] | Bern | Sportplatz Liebefeld-Hessgut | |
| FC Lerchenfeld[18] | canton of Bern | Sportanlagen Waldeck | |
| FC Le Locle[19] | Neuchâtel | Installation sportive - Jeanneret | |
| FC Solothurn | Solothurn | Stadion FC Solothurn | |
The decider was played on in . FC Herzogenbuchsee won and remained in the division. ASI Audax-Friul were relegated to 2. Liga Interregional.
| Club | Canton | Stadium | Capacity |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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 Frauenfeld | Thurgau | Kleine Allmend | |
| FC Glattbrugg[22] | Zürich | Sportanlage Au | |
| FC Laufen | Basel-Country | Sportplatz Nau | |
| SV Muttenz | Basel-Country | Sportplatz Margelacker | |
| FC Red Star Zürich | Zürich | Allmend Brunau | |
| FC Schaffhausen | Schaffhausen | Stadion Breite | |
| FC Turgi[23] | Aargau | Sportanlage Oberau | |
| FC Unterstrass[24] | Zürich | Steinkluppe | |
| FC Uzwil[25] | St. Gallen | Rüti | |
The decider match for second place was played on 4 June in Olten. FC Laufen win and advance to play-offs. FC Unterstrass remain in the division.
The decider was played on 4 June in Amriswil. FC Red Star Zürich win and remain in the division. FC Uzwil are relegated to 2. Liga Interregional.
| Club | Canton | Stadium | Capacity |
|---|---|---|---|
| FC Balzers |  Liechtenstein | Sportplatz Rheinau | |
| FC Brunnen[26] | Schwyz | Wintersried | |
| SC Buochs | Nidwalden | Stadion Seefeld | |
| FC Chur | Grisons | Ringstrasse | |
| SC Emmen[27] | Lucerne | Sportanlage Feldbreite | |
| US Giubiasco[28] | Ticino | Campo Semine | |
| FC Ibach | Schwyz | Gerbihof | |
| FC Locarno | Locarno, Ticino | ||
| Mendrisiostar | Ticino | Centro Sportivo Comunale | |
| FC Morbio[29] | Ticino | Campo comunale Balerna | |
| FC Stäfa[30] | Zürich | Sportanlage Frohberg | |
| FC Turicum[31] | Zürich | Hardhof | |
| FC Zug | Zug | Herti Allmend Stadion | |
| SC Zug | Zug | Herti Allmend Stadion | |
FC Bern win on away goals and continue to the finals. Mendrisiostar win 4–0 on aggregate and continue to the finals. FC Laufen win 4–3 on aggregate and continue to the finals. FC Frauenfeld win 3–1 on aggregate and continue to the finals.
FC Frauenfeld win 3–2 on aggregate and are promoted to 1978–79 Nationalliga B. 1–1 on aggregate. The replay was on 27 June in Grenchen. FC Bern win and are promoted to 1978–79 Nationalliga B.
The final for the 1. Liga championship was played on 2 July in Frauenfeld. FC Bern win and are 1. Liga champions.