1981 NCAA Division III basketball tournament

The 1981 NCAA Division III men's basketball tournament was the seventh annual single-elimination tournament, held during March 1981, to determine the national champions of National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) men's Division III collegiate basketball in the United States.

1981 NCAA Division III
basketball tournament

Teams	32
Finals site	Rock Island, Illinois
Champions	Potsdam State Bears (1st title)
Runner-up	Augustana Vikings (1st title game)
Semifinalists	Ursinus Bears (1st Final Four) Otterbein Cardinals (1st Final Four)
Winning coach	Jerry Welsh (Potsdam State)
NCAA Division III men's tournaments «1980 1982»

The tournament field included 32 teams with the national championship rounds contested at Augustana College in Rock Island, Illinois.

SUNY Potsdam defeated hosts Augustana (IL), 67–65 (in overtime), in the championship game to claim their first national title.

Bracket

Regionals

	First round					Regional Championship
	Clark (MA)		109
	UMass Boston		69
						Clark (MA)		78
						Rochester (NY)		74
	Rochester (NY)		75
	Salem State		62			Regional Third-place
						UMass Boston		90
						Salem State		91

	First round					Regional Championship
	Potsdam State		80
	Staten Island		57
						Potsdam State		68*
						Albany (NY)		63
	Albany (NY)		45
	St. Lawrence		44			Regional Third-place
						Staten Island		60
						St. Lawrence		62

	First round					Regional Championship
	Ursinus		69
	Franklin & Marshall		58
						Ursinus		66
						William Paterson		64
	William Paterson		87
	Scranton		70			Regional Third-place
						Franklin & Marshall		73
						Scranton		68

	First round					Regional Championship
	Upsala		73
	Allegheny		66
						Upsala		86
						Montclair State		64
	Montclair State		57
	Roanoke		55			Regional Third-place
						Allegheny		75
						Roanoke		84

	First round					Regional Championship
	Beloit		68
	William Penn		58
						Beloit		53
						Augustana (IL)		56
	Augustana (IL)		81
	North Park		68			Regional Third-place
						William Penn		85
						North Park		81

	First round					Regional Championship
	Whittier		103
	Stanislaus State		95
						Whittier		66*
						Muskingum		61
	Muskingum		75
	Dubuque		61			Regional Third-place
						Stanislaus State		73
						Dubuque		86

	First round					Regional Championship
	Wittenberg		72
	Calvin		50
						Wittenberg		68
						Otterbein		72
	Otterbein		81
	Wabash		69			Regional Third-place
						Calvin		71
						Wabash		93

	First round					Regional Championship
	Savannah State		76
	Rose–Hulman		62
						Savannah State		76
						Southwestern (TN)		75
	Southwestern (TN)		72
	St. Andrews		70			Regional Third-place
						Rhodes–Hulman		80
						St. Andrews		84

National finals

National quarterfinals

National semifinals

National championship

Clark (MA)

81

Potsdam State

87

Potsdam State

63

Ursinus

61

Ursinus

71

Upsala

69

Potsdam State

67*

Augustana (IL)

65

Augustana (IL)

69

Whittier

67

Augustana (IL)

93

National third-place game

Otterbein

81

Otterbein

67*

Ursinus

82

Savannah State

64

Otterbein

79

See also

• 1981 NCAA Division I basketball tournament
• 1981 NCAA Division II basketball tournament
• 1981 NAIA men's basketball tournament