1980–81 NCAA Division I men's basketball season
The 1980–81 NCAA Division I men's basketball season began on November 28, 1980, progressed through the regular season and conference tournaments, and concluded with the 1981 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament Championship Game on March 30, 1981, at The Spectrum in Philadelphia. The Indiana Hoosiers won their fourth NCAA national championship with a 63–50 victory over the North Carolina Tar Heels. Season outlook. Pre-season polls. The top 20 from the AP and UPI polls during the pre-season. Regular season. Conference winners and tournaments. Note: From 1975 to  1982, the Eastern College Athletic Conference (ECAC), a loosely organized sports federation of Northeastern colleges and universities, organized Division I ECAC regional tournaments for those of its members that were independents in basketball. Each 1981 tournament winner received an automatic bid to the 1981 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament in the same way that the tournament champions of conventional athletic conferences did. The ECAC North was a separate, conventional conference. Informal championships. NOTE: All five teams finished with a 2–2 record in head-to-head competition, resulting in a five-way tie. Post-Season Tournaments. NCAA Tournament. Indiana  won its fourth NCAA title with a 63–50 win over North Carolina and coach Dean Smith. Precocious sophomore Isiah Thomas was named Final Four Most Outstanding Player in a title game delayed due to the shooting of President Ronald Reagan. Final Four. Played at The Spectrum in Philadelphia National Invitation Tournament. Coach Nolan Richardson led Tulsa to the NIT Championship in his first year as a division I head coach – an 86–84 win over Syracuse. The Golden Hurricane's Greg Stewart was named the tournament's Most Valuable Player. NIT Semifinals and Final. Played at Madison Square Garden in New  York City Awards. Consensus All-American teams. Coaching changes. A number of teams changed coaches during the season and after it ended.