| Year: | 1981 |
| Team: | Eastern Kentucky Colonels |
| Sport: | football |
| Conference: | Ohio Valley Conference |
| Short Conf: | OVC |
| Record: | 12–2 |
| Conf Record: | 8–0 |
| Head Coach: | Roy Kidd |
| Hc Year: | 18th |
| Stadium: | Hanger Field |
| Champion: | OVC champion |
| Bowl: | NCAA Division I-AA Championship Game |
| Bowl Result: | L 23–34 vs Idaho State |
The 1981 Eastern Kentucky Colonels football team represented Eastern Kentucky University as a member of the Ohio Valley Conference (OVC) during the 1981 NCAA Division I-AA football season. Led by 18th-year head coach Roy Kidd, the Colonels compiled an overall record of 12–2, with a mark of 8–0 in conference play, and finished as OVC champion. Eastern Kentucky advanced to the NCAA Division I-AA Championship Game and were defeated by Idaho State.