| Year: | 1961 |
| Team: | SMU Mustangs |
| Sport: | football |
| Conference: | Southwest Conference |
| Short Conf: | SWC |
| Record: | 2–7–1 |
| Conf Record: | 1–5–1 |
| Head Coach: | Bill Meek |
| Hc Year: | 5th |
| Captain: | Bobby Hunt, Max Christian, Mike Rice |
The 1961 SMU Mustangs football team represented Southern Methodist University (SMU) as a member of the Southwest Conference (SWC) during the 1961 college football season. Led by Bill Meek in his fifth and final season as head coach, the Mustangs compiled an overall record of 2–7–1 with a conference mark of 1–5–1, placing last out of eight teams in the SWC.