| Year: | 1981 |
| Team: | Marshall Thundering Herd |
| Sport: | football |
| Conference: | Southern Conference |
| Short Conf: | SoCon |
| Record: | 2–9 |
| Conf Record: | 1–5 |
| Head Coach: | Sonny Randle |
| Hc Year: | 3rd |
| Captain: | Game captains |
| Stadium: | Fairfield Stadium |
The 1981 Marshall Thundering Herd football team was an American football team that represented Marshall University in the Southern Conference (SoCon) during the 1981 NCAA Division I-A football season. In its third season under head coach Sonny Randle, the team compiled a 2–9 record (1–5 against conference opponents) and was outscored by a total of 284 to 94.[1] [2] The team played its home games at Fairfield Stadium in Huntington, West Virginia.