# 1981 NCAA Division I-AA football rankings

The 1981 NCAA Division I-AA football rankings are from the NCAA Division I-AA football committee. This is for the 1981 season.

## Legend

| | Increase in ranking |
| | Decrease in ranking |
| | Not ranked previous week |
| (#–#) | Win–loss record |
| (Italics) | Number of first place votes |
| т | Tied with team above or below also with this symbol |

## NCAA Division I-AA Football Committee poll

| | Week 1 Sept 22 | Week 2 Sept 29 | Week 3 Oct 6 | Week 4 Oct 13 | Week 5 Oct 20 | Week 6 Oct 27 | Week 7 Nov 3 | Week 8 Nov 10 | Week 9 Nov 17 | Week 10 Nov 24 | Week 11 Dec 1 | |
| 1. | Delaware (2–0) | Delaware (3–0) | Murray State (5–0) | Murray State (6–0) | Eastern Kentucky (6–1) т | Eastern Kentucky (7–1) (4) | Eastern Kentucky (8–1) (4) | Eastern Kentucky (9–1) | Eastern Kentucky (9–1) (3) | Eastern Kentucky (10–1) (4) | Eastern Kentucky (10–1) (4) | 1. |
| 2. | Murray State (3–0) | Murray State (4–0) | Idaho State (4–0) | Idaho State (5–0) | Jackson State (6–0–1) т | New Hampshire (6–1) | Idaho State (6–1) | Idaho State (7–1) | Idaho State (8–1) (1) | Idaho State (9–1) | Idaho State (9–1) | 2. |
| 3. | Idaho State (2–0) | Idaho State (3–0) | Jackson State (4–0–1) | Jackson State (5–0–1) | New Hampshire (5–1) | Idaho State (5–1) | Boise State (7–1) | South Carolina State (8–2) | South Carolina State (9–2) | South Carolina State (9–2) | South Carolina State (9–2) | 3. |
| 4. | Jackson State (2–0–1) | Jackson State (3–0–1) | Eastern Kentucky (4–1) | Eastern Kentucky (5–1) | Murray State (6–1) | Boise State (6–1) | South Carolina State (7–2) | New Hampshire (7–2) | Boise State (8–2) | Jackson State (8–1–1) | Jackson State (9–1–1) | 4. |
| 5. | Eastern Kentucky (2–1) | Eastern Kentucky (3–1) | New Hampshire (4–0) | Lehigh (4–1) | Idaho State (5–1) | Grambling State (5–2) | Tennessee State (7–1) | Tennessee State (8–1) | Jackson State (8–1–1) | Boise State (9–2) | Boise State (9–2) | 5. |
| 6. | Connecticut (2–0) | UMass (2–0) | Lehigh (3–1) | Boise State (5–1) т | Boise State (5–1) | South Carolina State (6–2) | New Hampshire (6–2) | Boise State (7–2) | Lehigh (8–2) | Tennessee State (9–2) | Tennessee State (9–2) | 6. |
| 7. | Montana State (1–1) | Montana State (2–1) | Boise State (4–1) т | Delaware (4–1) т | Middle Tennessee State (5–2) | Jackson State (6–1–1) т | Jackson State (6–1–1) т | Jackson State (7–1–1) | Tennessee State (8–2) | Delaware (8–2) | Delaware (9–2) | 7. |
| 8. | Grambling State (2–1) | Connecticut (2–1) | Delaware (3–1) т | Lafayette (5–0) | South Carolina State (5–2) т | Tennessee State (6–1) т | Lehigh (6–2) т | Lehigh (7–2) | Delaware (7–2) | Lafayette (9–2) | Lafayette (9–2) | 8. |
| 9. | New Hampshire (2–0) | Boise State (3–1) т | Weber State (3–1) | Weber State (4–1) | Lehigh (4–2) т | Lehigh (5–2) | Montana (6–1) | Montana (7–1) | UMass (6–3) | Murray State (8–3) | Murray State (8–3) | 9. |
| 10. | Boise State (2–1) | New Hampshire (3–0) т | Lafayette (4–0) | New Hampshire (4–1) | Montana (4–1) | Montana (5–1) т | Grambling State (5–2–1) т | Delaware (6–2) т | New Hampshire (7–3) т | UMass (6–3) т | UMass (6–3) т | 10. |
| 11. | | South Carolina State (3–1) т | | | | Murray State (6–2) т | Rhode Island (5–3) т | Grambling State (6–2–1) т | Youngstown State (7–3) т | New Hampshire (7–3) т | New Hampshire (7–3) т | 11. |
| | Week 1 Sept 22 | Week 2 Sept 29 | Week 3 Oct 6 | Week 4 Oct 13 | Week 5 Oct 20 | Week 6 Oct 27 | Week 7 Nov 3 | Week 8 Nov 10 | Week 9 Nov 17 | Week 10 Nov 24 | Week 11 Dec 1 | |
| | | Dropped: 8 Grambling State | Dropped: 6 UMass7 Montana State8 Connecticut10 South Carolina State | None | Dropped: 7 Delaware8 Lafayette9 Weber State | Dropped: 7 Middle Tennessee State | Dropped: 10 Murray State | Dropped: 10 Rhode Island | Dropped: 9 Montana10 Grambling State | Dropped: 6 Lehigh10 Youngstown State | None | |