| Competition: | Campeonato Gaúcho |
| Season: | 1980 |
| Winners: | Grêmio |
| Relegated: | Esportivo Farroupilha Gaúcho Grêmio Bagé Lajeadense Pelotas |
| Continentalcup1: | Taça de Ouro |
| Continentalcup1 Qualifiers: | Grêmio Internacional |
| Continentalcup2: | Taça de Prata |
| Continentalcup2 Qualifiers: | Novo Hamburgo Internacional de Santa Maria São Paulo |
| Continentalcup3: | Taça de Bronze |
| Continentalcup3 Qualifiers: | São Borja |
| League Topscorer: | Baltazar (Grêmio) – 28 goals |
| Biggest Home Win: | Grêmio 6-0 São Borja (October 22, 1980) Grêmio 6-0 Novo Hamburgo (November 12, 1980) |
| Biggest Away Win: | Novo Hamburgo 0-4 Grêmio (October 26, 1980) |
| Highest Scoring: | Internacional 6-1 São Borja (June 7, 1980) |
| Matches: | 270 |
| Total Goals: | 509 |
| Prevseason: | 1979 |
| Nextseason: | 1981 |
The 60th season of the Campeonato Gaúcho kicked off on June 29, 1980, and ended on November 23, 1980. Sixteen teams participated. Grêmio won their 22nd title. Esportivo, Farroupilha, Gaúcho, Grêmio Bagé, Lajeadense and Pelotas were relegated.[1] [2]
In early 1980, It was decided that the championship would be reduced from 20 teams to 14. To that goal, the Copa Governador do Estado was turned into a qualification tournament for the 1980 First Level, with the presence of all the teams that would have participated under the 20 teams configuration that weren't participating in any national division (except for Riograndense, which had withdrawn and was replaced by São José), with the Seven best teams qualifying to it. However, after that tournament ended, the eight and ninth-placed teams were included in the First level as well, sparking protests from the other four clubs that had participated, who subsequently withdrew from disputing the Second level that year.
The championship would have two stages.:
This tournament was disputed by all the First level teams that hadn't qualified to either the Taça de Ouro or the Taça de Bronze. It would be played in a double round-robin formst, with the winner qualifying to the Taça de Bronze.