# 1981 Women's College World Series

The 1981 AIAW Women's College World Series was held in Norman, Oklahoma on May 21–24. Sixteen Division I college softball teams met in the next-to-last AIAW fastpitch softball tournament of that organization's history. After playing their way through the regular season and regional tournaments, the 16 advancing teams met for the AIAW Division I college softball championship.
Defending champion Utah State won its second national championship by defeating Cal State Fullerton, 4-3, in the "if necessary" game to become the first repeat winner since Arizona State in 1973.

## Teams

The double-elimination tournament included these teams:
* California
* Cal State Fullerton
* Creighton
* Illinois State
* Michigan State
* Missouri
* New Mexico
* New Mexico State
* Oklahoma
* Oklahoma State
* Rutgers
* South Carolina
* Texas A&M
* UCLA
* Utah State
* Western Michigan

## Bracket

| Upper round 1 | Upper round 1 | Upper round 2 | Upper round 2 | Upper round 3 | Upper round 3 | Upper final | Upper final | | | | | Final | Final | Final |
| UCLA | 3 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| South Carolina | 0 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| South Carolina | 0 | UCLA | 0 | | | | | | | | | |
| | | Utah State | 1 | | | | | | | | | |
| Utah State | 2 | Utah State | 1 | | | | | | | | | |
| Texas A&M | 1 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| Texas A&M | 1 | | | Utah State | 4 | | | | | | | |
| | | | | Missouri | 2 | | | | | | | |
| Missouri | 3$^{(12)}$ | | | Missouri | 2 | | | | | | | |
| Rutgers | 0 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| Rutgers | 0 | Missouri | 5 | | | | | | | | | |
| | | Oklahoma State | 1 | | | | | | | | | |
| Michigan State | 1 | Oklahoma State | 1 | | | | | | | | | |
| Oklahoma State | 5 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| Oklahoma State | 5 | | | | | Utah State | 2 | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | Cal State–Fullerton | 0 | | | | | |
| Western Michigan | 2 | | | | | Cal State–Fullerton | 0 | | | | | |
| Creighton | 0 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| Creighton | 0 | Western Michigan | 0 | | | | | | | | | |
| | | Cal State–Fullerton | 2$^{(15)}$ | | | | | | | | | |
| Cal State–Fullerton | 7$^{(8)}$ | Cal State–Fullerton | 2$^{(15)}$ | | | | | | | | | |
| New Mexico State | 6 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| New Mexico State | 6 | | | Cal State–Fullerton | 1$^{(10)}$ | | | | | | | |
| | | | | California | 0 | | | | | | | |
| California | 3 | | | California | 0 | | | | | | | |
| Illinois State | 0 | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| Illinois State | 0 | California | 4 | | | | | | | | | Utah State | 1 | 4 |
| | | Oklahoma | 1 | | | | | | | | | Cal State–Fullerton | 6 | 3 |
| Oklahoma | 1 | Oklahoma | 1 | | | | | | | | | Cal State–Fullerton | 6 | 3 |
| New Mexico | 0 | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| Lower round 1 | Lower round 1 | Lower round 2 | Lower round 2 | Lower round 3 | Lower round 3 | Lower round 4 | Lower round 4 | Lower round 5 | Lower round 5 | Lower final | Lower final | | | |
| | | Western Michigan | 0 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | | Western Michigan | 0 | | Missouri | 0 | | | | | | | | |
| South Carolina | 0 | Texas A&M | 1$^{(11)}$ | | Missouri | 0 | | | | | | | | |
| South Carolina | 0 | Texas A&M | 1$^{(11)}$ | Texas A&M | 3 | Texas A&M | 1 | | | | | | | |
| Texas A&M | 4 | | | Texas A&M | 3 | Texas A&M | 1 | | | | | | | |
| Texas A&M | 4 | | | Michigan State | 2 | | | | | Cal State–Fullerton | 5 | | | |
| | | Oklahoma | 1 | Michigan State | 2 | | | | | Cal State–Fullerton | 5 | | | |
| | | Oklahoma | 1 | | | | | Texas A&M | 0 | UCLA | 4 | | | |
| Rutgers | 2 | Michigan State | 8 | | | | | Texas A&M | 0 | UCLA | 4 | | | |
| Rutgers | 2 | Michigan State | 8 | | | | | UCLA | 1 | | | | | |
| Michigan State | 6 | | | | | | | UCLA | 1 | | | | | |
| | | UCLA | 2 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | | UCLA | 2 | | California | 0 | | | | | | | | |
| Creighton | 4$^{(8)}$ | Creighton | 1 | | California | 0 | | | | | | | | |
| Creighton | 4$^{(8)}$ | Creighton | 1 | UCLA | 5 | UCLA | 2$^{(9)}$ | | | | | | | |
| New Mexico State | 2 | | | UCLA | 5 | UCLA | 2$^{(9)}$ | | | | | | | |
| New Mexico State | 2 | | | Oklahoma State | 0 | | | | | | | | | |
| | | Oklahoma State | 5 | Oklahoma State | 0 | | | | | | | | | |
| Illinois State | 0 | New Mexico | 2 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| New Mexico | 1 | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Source:

## Ranking

| Place | School | WCWS Record |
| 1st | Utah State | 5-1 |
| 2nd | Cal State–Fullerton | 5-2 |
| 3rd | UCLA | 5-2 |
| 4th | Texas A&M | 4-2 |
| 5th | California | 2-2 |
| 5th | Missouri | 2-2 |
| 7th | Michigan State | 2-2 |
| 7th | Oklahoma State | 2-2 |
| 9th | Creighton | 1-2 |
| 9th | New Mexico | 1-2 |
| 9th | Oklahoma | 1-2 |
| 9th | Western Michigan | 1-2 |
| 13th | Illinois State | 0-2 |
| 13th | New Mexico State | 0-2 |
| 13th | Rutgers | 0-2 |
| 13th | South Carolina | 0-2 |