| Year: | 1981 |
| Number Of Teams: | 50 |
| Regular Season: | August–November |
| Playoffs: | December 5–December 19 |
| Nc Date: | December 19, 1981 |
| Championship: | Memorial Stadium Wichita Falls, Texas |
| Champions: | Idaho State |
The 1981 NCAA Division I-AA football season, part of college football in the United States organized by the National Collegiate Athletic Association at the Division I-AA level, began in August 1981 and concluded with the 1981 NCAA Division I-AA Football Championship Game on December 19, 1981, at Memorial Stadium in Wichita Falls, Texas. The Idaho State Bengals won their first I-AA championship, defeating the Eastern Kentucky Colonels in the Pioneer Bowl, 34−23.[1] [2] [3]
| School | 1980 Conference | 1981 Conference | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mid-Continent (D-II) | Mid-Continent (I-AA) | ||
| Mid-Continent (D-II) | Mid-Continent (I-AA) | ||
| Mid-Continent (D-II) | Mid-Continent (I-AA) | ||
| Mid-Continent (D-II) | Mid-Continent (I-AA) | ||
| Mid-Continent (D-II) | Ohio Valley (I-AA) |
See also: List of NCAA Division I-AA/FCS football seasons.
After holding four-team playoffs after the first three I-AA seasons, the NCAA increased the bracket size to eight this postseason. It grew to twelve in 1982 and sixteen in 1986. The eight-team field was determined via automatic bids to five conference champions (Idaho State, South Carolina State, Eastern Kentucky, Jackson State, and Rhode Island), a bid to the top-ranked independent team (Tennessee State), and two at-large bids (Boise State and Delaware).[4]
* Next to team name denotes host institution
* Next to score denotes overtime
Source:[5]