# 1981 National Invitation Tournament

The 1981 National Invitation Tournament was the 1981 edition of the annual NCAA college basketball competition.

## Selected teams

Below is a list of the 32 teams selected for the tournament.
* Alabama
* American
* Clemson
* Connecticut
* Dayton
* Drake
* Duke
* Duquesne
* Fordham
* Georgia
* Holy Cross
* Marquette
* Michigan
* Minnesota
* North Carolina A&T
* Old Dominion
* Pan American
* Penn
* Purdue
* Rhode Island
* St. John's
* San Jose State
* South Alabama
* South Florida
* Southern Miss
* Syracuse
* Temple
* Texas–Arlington
* Toledo
* Tulsa
* UTEP
* West Virginia

## Bracket

Below are the four first round brackets, along with the four-team championship bracket.
| First Round | First Round | First Round | Second Round | Second Round | Second Round | Quarterfinals | Quarterfinals | Quarterfinals |
| Syracuse | Syracuse | 88 | | | | | | |
| Marquette | Marquette | 81 | | | | | | |
| Marquette | Marquette | 81 | Syracuse | Syracuse | 77 | | | |
| | | | Holy Cross | Holy Cross | 57 | | | |
| Holy Cross | Holy Cross | 56 | Holy Cross | Holy Cross | 57 | | | |
| Southern Miss | Southern Miss | 54 | | | | | | |
| Southern Miss | Southern Miss | 54 | | | | Syracuse | Syracuse | 91 |
| | | | | | | Michigan | Michigan | 76 |
| Michigan | Michigan | 74 | | | | | | | Michigan | Michigan | 76 |
| Duquesne | Duquesne | 58 | | | | | | |
| Duquesne | Duquesne | 58 | Michigan | Michigan | 80 | | | |
| | | | Toledo | Toledo | 68 | | | |
| Toledo | Toledo | 91 | Toledo | Toledo | 68 | | | |
| American | American | 83 | | | | | | |
| First Round | First Round | First Round | Second Round | Second Round | Second Round | Quarterfinals | Quarterfinals | Quarterfinals |
| Purdue | Purdue | 84 | | | | | | |
| Rhode Island | Rhode Island | 58 | | | | | | |
| Rhode Island | Rhode Island | 58 | Purdue | Purdue | 50 | | | |
| | | | Dayton | Dayton | 46 | | | |
| Dayton | Dayton | 66 | Dayton | Dayton | 46 | | | |
| Fordham | Fordham | 65 | | | | | | |
| Fordham | Fordham | 65 | | | | Purdue | Purdue | 81 |
| | | | | | | Duke | Duke | 69 |
| Duke | Duke | 79 | | | | | | | Duke | Duke | 69 |
| North Carolina A&T | North Carolina A&T | 69 | | | | | | |
| North Carolina A&T | North Carolina A&T | 69 | Duke | Duke | 75 | | | |
| | | | Alabama | Alabama | 70 | | | |
| Alabama | Alabama | 73 | Alabama | Alabama | 70 | | | |
| St. John's | St. John's | 69 | | | | | | |
| First Round | First Round | First Round | Second Round | Second Round | Second Round | Quarterfinals | Quarterfinals | Quarterfinals |
| Connecticut | Connecticut | 65 | | | | | | |
| South Florida | South Florida | 55 | | | | | | |
| South Florida | South Florida | 55 | Connecticut | Connecticut | 66 | | | |
| | | | Minnesota | Minnesota | 84 | | | |
| Minnesota | Minnesota | 90 | Minnesota | Minnesota | 84 | | | |
| Drake | Drake | 77 | | | | | | |
| Drake | Drake | 77 | | | | Minnesota | Minnesota | 69 |
| | | | | | | West Virginia | West Virginia | 80 |
| West Virginia | West Virginia | 67 | | | | | | | West Virginia | West Virginia | 80 |
| Penn | Penn | 64 | | | | | | |
| Penn | Penn | 64 | West Virginia | West Virginia | 77 | | | |
| | | | Temple | Temple | 76 | | | |
| Temple | Temple | 90 | Temple | Temple | 76 | | | |
| Clemson | Clemson | 82 | | | | | | |
| First Round | First Round | First Round | Second Round | Second Round | Second Round | Quarterfinals | Quarterfinals | Quarterfinals |
| Tulsa | Tulsa | 81 | | | | | | |
| Pan American | Pan American | 71 | | | | | | |
| Pan American | Pan American | 71 | Tulsa | Tulsa | 76 | | | |
| | | | UTEP | UTEP | 72 | | | |
| UTEP | UTEP | 57 | UTEP | UTEP | 72 | | | |
| San Jose State | San Jose State | 53 | | | | | | |
| San Jose State | San Jose State | 53 | | | | Tulsa | Tulsa | 69 |
| | | | | | | South Alabama | South Alabama | 68 |
| Georgia | Georgia | 74 | | | | | | | South Alabama | South Alabama | 68 |
| Old Dominion | Old Dominion | 60 | | | | | | |
| Old Dominion | Old Dominion | 60 | Georgia | Georgia | 72 | | | |
| | | | South Alabama | South Alabama | 73 | | | |
| South Alabama | South Alabama | 74 | South Alabama | South Alabama | 73 | | | |
| Texas–Arlington | Texas–Arlington | 71 | | | | | | |

### Semifinals & finals

| Semifinals | Semifinals | Semifinals | Finals | Finals | Finals |
| Syracuse | Syracuse | 70 | | | |
| Purdue | Purdue | 63 | | | |
| Purdue | Purdue | 63 | Syracuse | Syracuse | 84 |
| | | | Tulsa | Tulsa | 86 |
| West Virginia | West Virginia | 87 | Tulsa | Tulsa | 86 |
| Tulsa | Tulsa | 89 | | | |
| Third place game | Third place game | Third place game |
| Purdue | Purdue | 75 |
| West Virginia | West Virginia | 72 |