| Team: | Hamilton Tiger-Cats |
| Year: | 1979 |
| Record: | 6–10 |
| Division Place: | 3rd, East |
| Coach: | John Payne |
| Stadium: | Ivor Wynne Stadium |
| Playoffs: | Lost Eastern Semi-Final |
| Mop: | Tom Clements |
| Moc: | Leif Pettersen |
| Mor: | Jim Reid |
| Shortnavlink: | Tiger-Cats seasons |
The 1979 Hamilton Tiger-Cats season was the 22nd season for the team in the Canadian Football League and their 30th overall. The Tiger-Cats finished in third place in the Eastern Conference with a 6–10 record, but lost the Eastern Semi-Final to the Ottawa Rough Riders.
Star quarterback Tom Clements was acquired from the Saskatchewan Roughriders in a mid-season trade and went on to lead the league in passing.[1] Additionally, University of Western Ontario quarterback Jamie Bone attended Tiger-Cats training camp but was cut. He took the Tiger-Cats to the Ontario Human Rights Tribunal, alleging that he was never given a fair chance to compete for a quarterback position because he was Canadian.[2] During the proceedings, the Tiger Cats admitted that they had made up their mind on who the starters would be. Bone won his case, and the tribunal awarded him $10,000.[2] The Tiger-Cats were awarded to give him a 14-day tryout in 1980.
| Montreal Alouettes | 16 | 11 | 4 | 1 | 351 | 284 | 23 | |
| Ottawa Rough Riders | 16 | 8 | 6 | 2 | 349 | 315 | 18 | |
| Hamilton Tiger-Cats | 16 | 6 | 10 | 0 | 280 | 338 | 12 | |
| 16 | 5 | 11 | 0 | 234 | 352 | 10 |
| Week | Date | Opponent | Final score | Record | |
| 1 | July 11 | 19–30 | 0–1 | ||
| 2 | July 18 | 11–18 | 0–2 | ||
| 3 | July 25 | 24–20 | 1–2 | ||
| 4 | Aug 1 | 8–21 | 1–3 | ||
| 5 | Aug 8 | at Toronto Argonauts | 0–25 | 1–4 | |
| 6 | Aug 14 | 21–27 | 1–5 | ||
| 7 | Aug 21 | 16–22 | 1–6 | ||
| 8 | Sept 3 | Ottawa Rough Riders | 16–9 | 2–6 | |
| 9 | Sept 8 | at Ottawa Rough Riders | 4–44 | 2–7 | |
| 10 | Sept 16 | Montreal Alouettes | 14–21 | 2–8 | |
| 11 | Sept 23 | 21–22 | 2–9 | ||
| 12 | Sept 29 | at Toronto Argonauts | 17–16 | 3–9 | |
| 13 | Oct 8 | Toronto Argonauts | 42–3 | 4–9 | |
| 14 | Oct 14 | 26–16 | 5–9 | ||
| 15 | Oct 21 | 21–3 | 6–9 | ||
| 17 | Nov 5 | at Montreal Alouettes | 20–41 | 6–10 |
| Game | Date | Opponent | Final score | |
| Eastern Semi-Final | Nov 11 | 29–26 |