- Jan 1 43rd Orange Bowl: #11 Ohio State beats #12 Colorado, 27-10
- Jan 1 43rd Sugar Bowl: #1 Pittsburgh beats #4 Georgia, 27-3; Tony Dorsett runs for record 202 yards
- Jan 1 63rd Rose Bowl: #3 Southern California beats #2 Michigan, 14-6
Ted Turner Suspended
Jan 2 MLB Commissioner Bowie Kuhn suspends Atlanta Braves owner Ted Turner for one year due to tampering charges in Gary Matthews free-agency signing
Tanner Defeats Vilas
Jan 9 Australian Open Men's Tennis: American Roscoe Tanner wins his first and only Grand Slam event; beats Guillermo Vilas of Argentina 6-3, 6-3, 6-3
Raider Win Over Vikings
Jan 9 Super Bowl XI, Rose Bowl, Pasadena, CA: Oakland Raiders beat Minnesota Vikings, 32-14; MVP: Fred Biletnikoff, Oakland, WR
- Jan 11 France releases Abu Daoud, a Palestinian suspected of involvement in massacre of Israeli athletes at 1972 Munich Olympics
- Jan 11 MLB Chicago Cubs trade outfielder Rick Monday to Los Angeles Dodgers for Bill Buckner
- Jan 16 Cap's H Monahan scored on 2nd penalty shot against Islanders
- Jan 17 NFL Pro Bowl, Seattle Kingdome: AFC beats NFC, 24-14; MVP: Mel Blount, Pittsburgh Steelers, CB
Pakistan Defeats Australia
Jan 18 Pakistan cricket all-rounder Imran Khan takes 6 for 63 in the Australian 2nd innings for a match total of 12 to lead his side to an easy 8 wicket 3rd Test win in Sydney
Banks Elected
Jan 19 Ernie Banks elected to Baseball Hall of Fame
Border's 1st-Class Debut
Jan 30 Allan Border scores 36 in his 1st-class innings (NSW vs Qld)
- Jan 30 Edward W. Stack replaces Paul Kerr ad president of baseball's Hall of Fame
Baseball Hall of Fame
Jan 31 Joe Sewell, Amos Rusie and Al López elected to Baseball Hall of Fame
Baseball Players
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Tennis Champions