# National Invitation Tournament 1981

El National Invitation Tournament 1981 fue la cuadragésimo cuarta edición del National Invitation Tournament. La disputaron 32 equipos, celebrándose la fase final de la competición en el Madison Square Garden de Nueva York. El ganador fue la Universidad de Tulsa, que lograba su primer título en esta competición.

## Equipos

Participantes :
| 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 |

## Fase final

Cuadro final de resultados.
| Primera ronda | Primera ronda | Primera ronda | Segunda ronda | Segunda ronda | Segunda ronda | Cuartos de final | Cuartos de final | Cuartos de final |
| 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 | | | |
| Primera ronda | Primera ronda | Primera ronda | Segunda ronda | Segunda ronda | Segunda ronda | Cuartos de final | Cuartos de final | Cuartos de final |
| 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 | | | |
| Primera ronda | Primera ronda | Primera ronda | Segunda ronda | Segunda ronda | Segunda ronda | Cuartos de final | Cuartos de final | Cuartos de final |
| 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 | | | |
| Primera ronda | Primera ronda | Primera ronda | Segunda ronda | Segunda ronda | Segunda ronda | Cuartos de final | Cuartos de final | Cuartos de final |
| 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 | | | |

### Semifinales y Final

| Semifinales | Semifinales | Semifinales | Final | Final | Final |
| 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 |
| Tercer y cuarto puesto | Tercer y cuarto puesto | Tercer y cuarto puesto |
| Purdue | Purdue | 75 |
| West Virginia | West Virginia | 72 |
* Campeón del NIT 1981
* Tulsa Golden Hurricane 1.er título