| Type: | NAIA |
| Year: | 1981 |
| Teams: | 32 |
| Finalfourarena: | Kemper Arena |
| Finalfourcity: | Kansas City, Missouri |
| Champions: | Bethany Nazarene (Okla.) |
| Titlecount: | 1st |
| Champgamecount: | 1st |
| Champffcount: | 1st |
| Runnerup: | Alabama – Huntsville |
| Gamecount: | 1st |
| Runnerffcount: | 1st |
| Semifinal1: | Wisconsin–Eau Claire |
| Finalfourcount1: | 3rd |
| Semifinal2: | Hillsdale (Mich.) |
| Finalfourcount2: | 1st |
| Coty: | Ken Anderson |
| Cotyschool: | Wisconsin–Eau Claire |
| Mvp: | George Torres |
| Mvpteam: | Bethany Nazarene |
| Hustle: | James Mundie |
| Hustleschool: | Alabama-Huntsville |
| Attendance: | unknown |
| Topscorer: | Todd Thurman |
| Topscorerteam: | Bethany Nazarene |
| Topscorer2: | George Torres |
| Topscorer2team: | Bethany Nazarene |
| Points: | 104 |
The 1981 NAIA men's basketball tournament was held in March at Kemper Arena in Kansas City, Missouri. The 44th annual NAIA basketball tournament featured 32 teams playing in a single-elimination format.[1] The championship game featured Bethany Nazarene College and the University of Alabama in Huntsville. It was the first time that the championship game went into overtime. Bethany Nazarene edged out Alabama-Huntsville with the final score of 86-85 (OT). 1981 was also the first year the NAIA held a women's national basketball championship tournament. For the second time since 1963, the year the award was established, there was a tie for the leading scorer. Todd Thurman and George Torres both scored 104 over the course of the 1981 tournament. There have been no ties since. And for the first time since the Coach of the Year Award was established, Ken Anderson, won Coach of the Year for the second time. No other coach has won the award twice.
The third-place game featured the losing teams from the national semifinalist to determine 3rd and 4th places in the tournament. This game was played until 1988.