# 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.

## Conference standings

1981 College Athletic Conference football standings :
| 1981 College Athletic Conference football standings vteConfOverall TeamW L TW L T Rose–Hulman $ 5 –0 –06 –2 –1 Illinois College 4 –1 –07 –2 –0 Sewanee 3 –2 –05 –4 –0 Centre 2 –3 –04 –5 –0 Southwestern (TN) 1 –4 –03 –5 –1 Principia 0 –5 –01 –8 –0 $ – Conference champion | 1981 College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin football standings vteConfOverall TeamW L TW L T Augustana (IL) $^ 8 –0 –09 –1 –0 Elmhurst 7 –1 –07 –2 –0 Carthage 6 –2 –07 –2 –0 Millikin 3 –5 –04 –5 –0 Carroll (WI) 3 –5 –03 –6 –0 Illinois Wesleyan 3 –5 –03 –6 –0 North Central (IL) 3 –5 –03 –6 –0 North Park 2 –6 –02 –7 –0 Wheaton (IL) 1 –7 –02 –7 –0 $ – Conference champion^ – NCAA Division III playoff participant | 1981 Independent College Athletic Conference football standings vteConfOverall TeamW L TW L T Alfred $^ 3 –0 –010 –1 –0 Ithaca 2 –1 –06 –4 –0 St. Lawrence 2 –2 –05 –4 –0 RPI 1 –1 –03 –6 –0 Hobart 0 –4 –01 –8 –0 $ – Conference champion^ – NCAA Division III playoff participant |
| 1981 Iowa Conference football standings vteConfOverall TeamW L TW L T Central (IA) $ 6 –1 –06 –2 –1 Buena Vista 5 –2 –07 –2 –0 Wartburg 6 –2 –06 –3 –0 Dubuque 4 –3 –04 –6 –0 Luther * 3 –4 –03 –6 –0 Simpson (IA) 2 –5 –03 –6 –0 William Penn 2 –5 –03 –7 –0 Upper Iowa 1 –6 –01 –8 –0 $ – Conference champion * – forfeited one non-conference game | 1981 Metropolitan Intercollegiate Conference football standings vteConfOverall TeamW L TW L T St. John's $ 4 –0 –08 –2 –0 Pace 3 –1 –05 –5 –0 Brooklyn 2 –2 –04 –6 –0 Marist 1 –3 –02 –7 –0 Saint Peter's 0 –4 –01 –8 –0 $ – Conference champion | 1981 Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association football standings vteConfOverall TeamW L TW L T Hope $ 5 –0 –06 –3 –0 Adrian 4 –1 –08 –1 –0 Albion 2 –2 –14 –4 –1 Kalamazoo 2 –3 –03 –6 –0 Alma 1 –4 –02 –7 –0 Olivet 0 –4 –13 –5 –1 $ – Conference champion |
| 1981 Middle Atlantic Conference football standings vteConfOverall TeamW L TW L T Northern Division Delaware Valley x 6 –1 –09 –2 –0 Juniata x 6 –1 –06 –2 –1 Albright 4 –2 –15 –3 –1 Lycoming 4 –2 –15 –4 –1 Susquehanna 4 –3 –06 –3 –0 Upsala 2 –5 –04 –6 –0 Fairleigh Dickinson–Florham 1 –6 –01 –8 –0 Wilkes 0 –7 –00 –9 –0 Southern Division Widener x^ 8 –0 –013 –0 –0 Johns Hopkins 6 –2 –07 –2 –0 Swarthmore 6 –2 –07 –2 –0 Franklin & Marshall 5 –3 –06 –3 –0 Gettysburg 5 –3 –06 –4 –0 Western Maryland 5 –3 –05 –3 –1 Lebanon Valley 4 –4 –04 –5 –0 Muhlenberg 3 –5 –03 –5 –0 Ursinus 1 –6 –12 –6 –1 Moravian 0 –7 –12 –8 –1 Dickinson 0 –8 –00 –9 –0 x – Division champion/co-champions^ – NCAA Division III playoff participant | 1981 Midwest Conference football standings vteConfOverall TeamW L TW L T Lawrence $^ 8 –0 –010 –1 –0 Carleton 6 –2 –07 –2 –0 Coe 6 –2 –07 –2 –0 Ripon 6 –2 –07 –2 –0 Cornell (IA) 5 –3 –06 –3 –0 Beloit 3 –5 –04 –5 –0 Lake Forest 3 –5 –03 –5 –0 Chicago 2 –6 –02 –6 –1 Grinnell 2 –6 –02 –6 –0 Knox 2 –6 –02 –7 –0 Monmouth (IL) 1 –7 –01 –8 –0 $ – Conference champion^ – NCAA Division III playoff participant | 1981 Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference football standings vteConfOverall TeamW L TW L T No. 1 Concordia–Moorhead $^ 8 –0 –011 –0 –2 No. 15 Saint John's (MN) 6 –2 –07 –2 –0 No. 19 St. Thomas (MN) 6 –2 –07 –2 –0 Gustavus Adolphus 5 –3 –06 –4 –0 Augsburg 3 –5 –04 –6 –0 Macalester 2 –6 –04 –6 –0 St. Olaf 2 –6 –04 –7 –0 Bethel (MN) 2 –6 –03 –7 –0 Hamline 2 –6 –03 –7 –0 $ – Conference champion^ – NAIA Division II playoff participantRankings from NAIA Division II poll |
| 1981 New England Football Conference standings vteConfOverall TeamW L TW L T Plymouth State $ 9 –0 –09 –1 –0 Maine Maritime 7 –2 –07 –2 –0 Massachusetts Maritime 6 –3 –06 –3 –0 Western New England 5 –4 –05 –4 –0 Nichols 5 –4 –05 –4 –0 Framingham State 4 –5 –04 –5 –0 Bridgewater State 3 –6 –03 –6 –0 Curry 3 –6 –03 –6 –0 Western Connecticut State 1 –7 –01 –8 –0 Boston State * 1 –8 –01 –8 –0 $ – Conference champion * – Boston State's game against Norwich counted in the conference standings. | 1981 New Jersey State Athletic Conference football standings vteConfOverall TeamW L TW L T Montclair State $^ 6 –0 –010 –2 –0 Ramapo 4 –1 –16 –2 –1 Glassboro State 4 –2 –05 –5 –0 Trenton State 3 –2 –15 –4 –1 William Paterson 2 –4 –04 –6 –0 Kean 1 –5 –03 –7 –0 Jersey City State 0 –6 –02 –8 –0 $ – Conference champion^ – NCAA Division III playoff participant | 1981 Northern Intercollegiate Conference football standings vteConfOverall TeamW L TW L T No. 1 Moorhead State $* 6 –0 –010 –1 –1 Minnesota Duluth 5 –1 –09 –1 –0 Minnesota Morris ^ 4 –2 –07 –3 –1 Southwest State (MN) 3 –3 –06 –4 –0 Northern State 2 –4 –04 –6 –0 Winona State 1 –5 –01 –9 –0 Bemidji State 0 –6 –00 –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 vteConfOverall TeamW L TW L T Blue Division Wittenberg xy$ 6 –0 –08 –2 –0 Capital 4 –2 –06 –3 –0 Ohio Northern 4 –2 –06 –3 –0 Wooster 3 –3 –04 –5 –0 Ohio Wesleyan 2 –4 –04 –5 –0 Denison 1 –5 –03 –6 –0 Muskingum 1 –5 –03 –6 –0 Red Division Baldwin–Wallace xy 5 –0 –08 –2 –0 Otterbein 3 –2 –07 –2 –0 Mount Union 3 –2 –05 –4 –0 Kenyon 2 –3 –05 –4 –0 Heidelberg 2 –3 –02 –7 –0 Marietta 0 –5 –00 –9 –0 Not competing for championship Oberlin   –  3 –6 –0 Championship: Wittenberg 10, Baldwin–Wallace 7 $ – Conference championx – Division champion/co-championsy – Championship game participant | 1981 Old Dominion Athletic Conference football standings vteConfOverall TeamW L TW L T Washington and Lee $ 4 –1 –08 –2 –0 Maryville (TN) 4 –1 –05 –4 –1 Randolph–Macon 3 –1 –15 –3 –1 Hampden–Sydney 2 –2 –12 –7 –1 Bridgewater 0 –4 –12 –6 –1 Emory & Henry 0 –4 –11 –8 –1 $ – Conference championWashington and Lee won the conference title by virtue of their win over Maryville. | 1981 Presidents' Athletic Conference football standings vteConfOverall TeamW L TW L T Carnegie Mellon $ 6 –0 –17 –1 –1 Bethany (WV) 5 –2 –07 –2 –0 Hiram 5 –2 –06 –3 –0 Thiel 4 –2 –14 –4 –1 Allegheny 3 –4 –03 –5 –0 John Carroll 3 –4 –03 –6 –0 Washington & Jefferson 1 –6 –02 –7 –0 Case Western Reserve 0 –7 –00 –9 –0 $ – Conference champion |
| 1981 Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference football standings vteConfOverall TeamW L TW L T Whittier $ 5 –0 –06 –4 –0 Claremont-Mudd 4 –1 –04 –5 –0 Redlands 3 –2 –05 –5 –0 Occidental 1 –4 –03 –7 –0 La Verne 1 –4 –02 –7 –0 Pomona-Pitzer 1 –4 –01 –8 –0 $ – Conference champion | 1981 Wisconsin State University Conference football standings vteConfOverall TeamW L TW L T No. 9 Wisconsin–Eau Claire $ 8 –0 –09 –1 –0 Wisconsin–Whitewater 5 –3 –07 –3 –0 Wisconsin–Stout 5 –3 –07 –4 –0 Wisconsin–La Crosse 4 –4 –06 –4 –0 Wisconsin–Platteville 4 –4 –06 –4 –0 Wisconsin–Stevens Point 4 –4 –05 –5 –0 Wisconsin–Oshkosh 3 –5 –05 –5 –0 Wisconsin–River Falls 3 –5 –05 –5 –0 Wisconsin–Superior 0 –8 –00 –11 –0 $ – Conference championRankings from NAIA Division I poll | 1981 NCAA Division III independents football records vteConfOverall TeamW L TW 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 | Quarterfinals Campus Sites | Quarterfinals Campus Sites | Semifinals Campus Sites | Semifinals Campus Sites | Semifinals Campus Sites | National Championship Game Garrett-Harrison Stadium Phenix City, AL | National Championship Game Garrett-Harrison Stadium Phenix City, AL | National Championship Game Garrett-Harrison Stadium Phenix City, AL |
| Dayton | Dayton | 19 | | | | | | |
| Augustana (IL) | Augustana (IL) | 7 | | | | | | |
| Augustana (IL) | Augustana (IL) | 7 | Dayton | Dayton | 38 | | | |
| | | | Lawrence | Lawrence | 0 | | | |
| Lawrence | Lawrence | 21* | Lawrence | Lawrence | 0 | | | |
| Minnesota–Morris | Minnesota–Morris | 14 | | | | | | |
| Minnesota–Morris | Minnesota–Morris | 14 | | | | Dayton | Dayton | 10 |
| | | | | | | Widener | Widener | 17 |
| Montclair State | Montclair State | 13 | | | | | | | Widener | Widener | 17 |
| Alfred | Alfred | 12 | | | | | | |
| Alfred | Alfred | 12 | Montclair State | Montclair State | 12 | | | |
| | | | Widener | Widener | 23 | | | |
| Widener | Widener | 10 | Widener | Widener | 23 | | | |
| West Georgia | West Georgia | 3 | | | | | | |