1981 NCAA Division III football season

The 1981 NCAA Division III football season, part of college football in the United States organized by the National Collegiate Athletic Association at the Division III level, began in August 1981, and concluded with the NCAA Division III Football Championship in December 1981 at Garrett-Harrison Stadium in Phenix City, Alabama. The Widener Pioneers won their second Division III championship, defeating the defending national champion Dayton by a final score of 17−10.

1981 NCAA Division III football season
Regular season	August – November 1981
Playoffs	November – December 1981
National championship	Garrett-Harrison Stadium Phenix City, AL
Champion	Widener
NCAA Division III football seasons

Conference standings

1981 College Athletic Conference football standings Conf Overall Team W   L   T W   L   T Rose–Hulman $ 5 – 0 – 0 6 – 2 – 1 Illinois College 4 – 1 – 0 7 – 2 – 0 Sewanee 3 – 2 – 0 5 – 4 – 0 Centre 2 – 3 – 0 4 – 5 – 0 Southwestern (TN) 1 – 4 – 0 3 – 5 – 1 Principia 0 – 5 – 0 1 – 8 – 0 $ – Conference champion	1981 College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin football standings Conf Overall Team W   L   T W   L   T Augustana (IL) $^ 8 – 0 – 0 9 – 1 – 0 Elmhurst 7 – 1 – 0 7 – 2 – 0 Carthage 6 – 2 – 0 7 – 2 – 0 Millikin 3 – 5 – 0 4 – 5 – 0 Carroll (WI) 3 – 5 – 0 3 – 6 – 0 Illinois Wesleyan 3 – 5 – 0 3 – 6 – 0 North Central (IL) 3 – 5 – 0 3 – 6 – 0 North Park 2 – 6 – 0 2 – 7 – 0 Wheaton (IL) 1 – 7 – 0 2 – 7 – 0 $ – Conference champion ^ – NCAA Division III playoff participant	1981 Independent College Athletic Conference football standings Conf Overall Team W   L   T W   L   T Alfred $^ 3 – 0 – 0 10 – 1 – 0 Ithaca 2 – 1 – 0 6 – 4 – 0 St. Lawrence 2 – 2 – 0 5 – 4 – 0 RPI 1 – 1 – 0 3 – 6 – 0 Hobart 0 – 4 – 0 1 – 8 – 0 $ – Conference champion ^ – NCAA Division III playoff participant
1981 Iowa Conference football standings Conf Overall Team W   L   T W   L   T Central (IA) $ 6 – 1 – 0 6 – 2 – 1 Buena Vista 5 – 2 – 0 7 – 2 – 0 Wartburg 6 – 2 – 0 6 – 3 – 0 Dubuque 4 – 3 – 0 4 – 6 – 0 Luther * 3 – 4 – 0 3 – 6 – 0 Simpson (IA) 2 – 5 – 0 3 – 6 – 0 William Penn 2 – 5 – 0 3 – 7 – 0 Upper Iowa 1 – 6 – 0 1 – 8 – 0 $ – Conference champion * – forfeited one non-conference game	1981 Metropolitan Intercollegiate Conference football standings Conf Overall Team W   L   T W   L   T St. John's $ 4 – 0 – 0 8 – 2 – 0 Pace 3 – 1 – 0 5 – 5 – 0 Brooklyn 2 – 2 – 0 4 – 6 – 0 Marist 1 – 3 – 0 2 – 7 – 0 Saint Peter's 0 – 4 – 0 1 – 8 – 0 $ – Conference champion	1981 Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association football standings Conf Overall Team W   L   T W   L   T Hope $ 5 – 0 – 0 6 – 3 – 0 Adrian 4 – 1 – 0 8 – 1 – 0 Albion 2 – 2 – 1 4 – 4 – 1 Kalamazoo 2 – 3 – 0 3 – 6 – 0 Alma 1 – 4 – 0 2 – 7 – 0 Olivet 0 – 4 – 1 3 – 5 – 1 $ – Conference champion
1981 Middle Atlantic Conference football standings Conf Overall Team W   L   T W   L   T Northern Division Delaware Valley x 6 – 1 – 0 9 – 2 – 0 Juniata x 6 – 1 – 0 6 – 2 – 1 Albright 4 – 2 – 1 5 – 3 – 1 Lycoming 4 – 2 – 1 5 – 4 – 1 Susquehanna 4 – 3 – 0 6 – 3 – 0 Upsala 2 – 5 – 0 4 – 6 – 0 Fairleigh Dickinson–Florham 1 – 6 – 0 1 – 8 – 0 Wilkes 0 – 7 – 0 0 – 9 – 0 Southern Division Widener x^ 8 – 0 – 0 13 – 0 – 0 Johns Hopkins 6 – 2 – 0 7 – 2 – 0 Swarthmore 6 – 2 – 0 7 – 2 – 0 Franklin & Marshall 5 – 3 – 0 6 – 3 – 0 Gettysburg 5 – 3 – 0 6 – 4 – 0 Western Maryland 5 – 3 – 0 5 – 3 – 1 Lebanon Valley 4 – 4 – 0 4 – 5 – 0 Muhlenberg 3 – 5 – 0 3 – 5 – 0 Ursinus 1 – 6 – 1 2 – 6 – 1 Moravian 0 – 7 – 1 2 – 8 – 1 Dickinson 0 – 8 – 0 0 – 9 – 0 x – Division champion/co-champions ^ – NCAA Division III playoff participant	1981 Midwest Conference football standings Conf Overall Team W   L   T W   L   T Lawrence $^ 8 – 0 – 0 10 – 1 – 0 Carleton 6 – 2 – 0 7 – 2 – 0 Coe 6 – 2 – 0 7 – 2 – 0 Ripon 6 – 2 – 0 7 – 2 – 0 Cornell (IA) 5 – 3 – 0 6 – 3 – 0 Beloit 3 – 5 – 0 4 – 5 – 0 Lake Forest 3 – 5 – 0 3 – 5 – 0 Chicago 2 – 6 – 0 2 – 6 – 1 Grinnell 2 – 6 – 0 2 – 6 – 0 Knox 2 – 6 – 0 2 – 7 – 0 Monmouth (IL) 1 – 7 – 0 1 – 8 – 0 $ – Conference champion ^ – NCAA Division III playoff participant	1981 Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference football standings Conf Overall Team W   L   T W   L   T No. 1 Concordia–Moorhead $^ 8 – 0 – 0 11 – 0 – 2 No. 15 Saint John's (MN) 6 – 2 – 0 7 – 2 – 0 No. 19 St. Thomas (MN) 6 – 2 – 0 7 – 2 – 0 Gustavus Adolphus 5 – 3 – 0 6 – 4 – 0 Augsburg 3 – 5 – 0 4 – 6 – 0 Macalester 2 – 6 – 0 4 – 6 – 0 St. Olaf 2 – 6 – 0 4 – 7 – 0 Bethel (MN) 2 – 6 – 0 3 – 7 – 0 Hamline 2 – 6 – 0 3 – 7 – 0 $ – Conference champion ^ – NAIA Division II playoff participant Rankings from NAIA Division II poll
1981 New England Football Conference standings Conf Overall Team W   L   T W   L   T Plymouth State $ 9 – 0 – 0 9 – 1 – 0 Maine Maritime 7 – 2 – 0 7 – 2 – 0 Massachusetts Maritime 6 – 3 – 0 6 – 3 – 0 Western New England 5 – 4 – 0 5 – 4 – 0 Nichols 5 – 4 – 0 5 – 4 – 0 Framingham State 4 – 5 – 0 4 – 5 – 0 Bridgewater State 3 – 6 – 0 3 – 6 – 0 Curry 3 – 6 – 0 3 – 6 – 0 Western Connecticut State 1 – 7 – 0 1 – 8 – 0 Boston State * 1 – 8 – 0 1 – 8 – 0 $ – Conference champion * – Boston State's game against Norwich counted in the conference standings.	1981 New Jersey State Athletic Conference football standings Conf Overall Team W   L   T W   L   T Montclair State $^ 6 – 0 – 0 10 – 2 – 0 Ramapo 4 – 1 – 1 6 – 2 – 1 Glassboro State 4 – 2 – 0 5 – 5 – 0 Trenton State 3 – 2 – 1 5 – 4 – 1 William Paterson 2 – 4 – 0 4 – 6 – 0 Kean 1 – 5 – 0 3 – 7 – 0 Jersey City State 0 – 6 – 0 2 – 8 – 0 $ – Conference champion ^ – NCAA Division III playoff participant	1981 Northern Intercollegiate Conference football standings Conf Overall Team W   L   T W   L   T No. 1 Moorhead State $* 6 – 0 – 0 10 – 1 – 1 Minnesota Duluth 5 – 1 – 0 9 – 1 – 0 Minnesota Morris ^ 4 – 2 – 0 7 – 3 – 1 Southwest State (MN) 3 – 3 – 0 6 – 4 – 0 Northern State 2 – 4 – 0 4 – 6 – 0 Winona State 1 – 5 – 0 1 – 9 – 0 Bemidji State 0 – 6 – 0 0 – 10 – 0 $ – Conference champion ^ – NCAA Division III playoff participant * – NAIA Division I playoff participant Rankings from NAIA Division I poll
1981 Ohio Athletic Conference football standings Conf Overall Team W   L   T W   L   T Blue Division Wittenberg xy$ 6 – 0 – 0 8 – 2 – 0 Capital 4 – 2 – 0 6 – 3 – 0 Ohio Northern 4 – 2 – 0 6 – 3 – 0 Wooster 3 – 3 – 0 4 – 5 – 0 Ohio Wesleyan 2 – 4 – 0 4 – 5 – 0 Denison 1 – 5 – 0 3 – 6 – 0 Muskingum 1 – 5 – 0 3 – 6 – 0 Red Division Baldwin–Wallace xy 5 – 0 – 0 8 – 2 – 0 Otterbein 3 – 2 – 0 7 – 2 – 0 Mount Union 3 – 2 – 0 5 – 4 – 0 Kenyon 2 – 3 – 0 5 – 4 – 0 Heidelberg 2 – 3 – 0 2 – 7 – 0 Marietta 0 – 5 – 0 0 – 9 – 0 Not competing for championship Oberlin   –   3 – 6 – 0 Championship: Wittenberg 10, Baldwin–Wallace 7 $ – Conference champion x – Division champion/co-champions y – Championship game participant	1981 Old Dominion Athletic Conference football standings Conf Overall Team W   L   T W   L   T Washington and Lee $ 4 – 1 – 0 8 – 2 – 0 Maryville (TN) 4 – 1 – 0 5 – 4 – 1 Randolph–Macon 3 – 1 – 1 5 – 3 – 1 Hampden–Sydney 2 – 2 – 1 2 – 7 – 1 Bridgewater 0 – 4 – 1 2 – 6 – 1 Emory & Henry 0 – 4 – 1 1 – 8 – 1 $ – Conference champion Washington and Lee won the conference title by virtue of their win over Maryville.	1981 Presidents' Athletic Conference football standings Conf Overall Team W   L   T W   L   T Carnegie Mellon $ 6 – 0 – 1 7 – 1 – 1 Bethany (WV) 5 – 2 – 0 7 – 2 – 0 Hiram 5 – 2 – 0 6 – 3 – 0 Thiel 4 – 2 – 1 4 – 4 – 1 Allegheny 3 – 4 – 0 3 – 5 – 0 John Carroll 3 – 4 – 0 3 – 6 – 0 Washington & Jefferson 1 – 6 – 0 2 – 7 – 0 Case Western Reserve 0 – 7 – 0 0 – 9 – 0 $ – Conference champion
1981 Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference football standings Conf Overall Team W   L   T W   L   T Whittier $ 5 – 0 – 0 6 – 4 – 0 Claremont-Mudd 4 – 1 – 0 4 – 5 – 0 Redlands 3 – 2 – 0 5 – 5 – 0 Occidental 1 – 4 – 0 3 – 7 – 0 La Verne 1 – 4 – 0 2 – 7 – 0 Pomona-Pitzer 1 – 4 – 0 1 – 8 – 0 $ – Conference champion	1981 Wisconsin State University Conference football standings Conf Overall Team W   L   T W   L   T No. 9 Wisconsin–Eau Claire $ 8 – 0 – 0 9 – 1 – 0 Wisconsin–Whitewater 5 – 3 – 0 7 – 3 – 0 Wisconsin–Stout 5 – 3 – 0 7 – 4 – 0 Wisconsin–La Crosse 4 – 4 – 0 6 – 4 – 0 Wisconsin–Platteville 4 – 4 – 0 6 – 4 – 0 Wisconsin–Stevens Point 4 – 4 – 0 5 – 5 – 0 Wisconsin–Oshkosh 3 – 5 – 0 5 – 5 – 0 Wisconsin–River Falls 3 – 5 – 0 5 – 5 – 0 Wisconsin–Superior 0 – 8 – 0 0 – 11 – 0 $ – Conference champion Rankings from NAIA Division I poll	1981 NCAA Division III independents football records Conf Overall Team W   L   T W   L   T DePauw   –   9 – 1 – 0 San Diego   –   9 – 1 – 0 Wagner   –   9 – 1 – 0 West Georgia ^   –   9 – 1 – 0 Dayton ^   –   12 – 2 – 0 Millsaps   –   7 – 2 – 0 Albany   –   7 – 3 – 0 Georgetown   –   5 – 3 – 0 Cortland   –   6 – 4 – 0 Brockport   –   5 – 5 – 0 Buffalo   –   5 – 5 – 0 Buffalo State   –   3 – 3 – 0 Fordham   –   5 – 5 – 0 Iona   –   5 – 5 – 0 Rochester (NY)   –   4 – 4 – 1 Union (NY)   –   4 – 4 – 1 Colorado College   –   4 – 5 – 0 Duquesne   –   4 – 5 – 0 Frostburg State   –   4 – 5 – 0 Canisius   –   4 – 6 – 0 Hofstra   –   4 – 6 – 0 UCF   –   4 – 6 – 0 Saint Francis (PA)   –   3 – 6 – 1 Norwich   –   3 – 7 – 0 Grove City   –   2 – 7 – 0 Salisbury State   –   2 – 7 – 0 St. Norbert   –   2 – 7 – 0 Catholic University   –   1 – 8 – 0 ^ – NCAA Division III playoff participant

Conference champions

Conference champions

College Athletic Conference – Rose-Hulman College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin – Augustana (IL) Independent College Athletic Conference – Alfred Iowa Intercollegiate Athletic Conference – Central (IA) Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association – Hope Middle Atlantic Conference – Delaware Valley and Juniata (North), Widener (South) Midwest Collegiate Athletic Conference – Lawrence Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference – Concordia–Moorhead New England Football Conference – Plymouth State New Jersey State Athletic Conference – Montclair State Northwest Conference – Pacific Lutheran Ohio Athletic Conference – Baldwin Wallace (Red Division), Wittenberg (Blue Division) Old Dominion Athletic Conference – Washington & Lee Presidents' Athletic Conference – Carnegie Mellon Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference – Whittier Texas Intercollegiate Athletic Association – Austin and Sul Ross Twin Rivers Conference – Concordia–St. Paul and Northwestern–St. Paul Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference – Wisconsin–Eau Claire

Postseason

The 1981 NCAA Division III Football Championship playoffs were the ninth annual single-elimination tournament to determine the national champion of men's NCAA Division III college football. The championship game was held at Garrett-Harrison Stadium in Phenix City, Alabama for the ninth consecutive year. Like the previous six championships, eight teams competed in this edition.

Playoff bracket

	Quarterfinals Campus Sites					Semifinals Campus Sites					National Championship Game Garrett-Harrison Stadium Phenix City, AL
	Dayton		19
	Augustana (IL)		7
						Dayton		38
						Lawrence		0
	Lawrence		21*
	Minnesota–Morris		14
											Dayton		10
											Widener		17
	Montclair State		13
	Alfred		12
						Montclair State		12
						Widener		23
	Widener		10
	West Georgia		3

See also

• 1981 NCAA Division I-A football season
• 1981 NCAA Division I-AA football season
• 1981 NCAA Division II football season
• 1981 NAIA Division I football season
• 1981 NAIA Division II football season