| Year: | 1981 |
| Team: | Iowa State Cyclones |
| Conference: | Big Eight Conference |
| Short Conf: | Big Eight |
| Record: | 5–5–1 |
| Conf Record: | 2–4–1 |
| Hc Year: | 3rd |
| Oc Year: | 2nd |
| Stadium: | Cyclone Stadium (Capacity: 48,000) |
The 1981 Iowa State Cyclones football team represented Iowa State University during the 1981 NCAA Division I-A football season. They played their home games at Cyclone Stadium in Ames, Iowa. They participated as members of the Big Eight Conference. The team was coached by head coach Donnie Duncan. The offensive coordinator was Mack Brown.