| Year: | 1981 |
| Conference: | Big East |
| Gender: | Men's |
| Teams: | 8 |
| Arena: | Carrier Dome |
| City: | Syracuse, NY |
| Champions: | Syracuse |
| Titlecount: | 1st |
| Coach: | Jim Boeheim |
| Coachcount: | 1st |
| Mvp: | Leo Rautins |
| Mvpteam: | Syracuse |
The 1981 Big East men's basketball tournament took place at the Carrier Dome in Syracuse, NY. It was a single-elimination tournament with three rounds. Boston College had the best regular season conference record and received the #1 seed.
Syracuse defeated Villanova in the championship game by a score of 83 - 80 in triple overtime.
Most Valuable Player: Leo Rautins, Syracuse
All Tournament Team