| Division: | II |
| Year: | 1981 |
| Teams: | 32 |
| Finalfourcity: | Springfield, Massachusetts |
| Champions: | Florida Southern Moccasins |
| Titlecount: | 1st |
| Runnerup: | Mount St. Mary's Mountaineers |
| Gamecount: | 2nd |
| Semifinal1: | Cal Poly Mustangs |
| Finalfourcount: | 1st |
| Semifinal2: | Green Bay Phoenix |
| Finalfourcount2: | 3rd |
| Coach: | Hal Wissel |
| Coachcount: | 1st |
| Mop: | John Ebeling |
| Mopteam: | Florida Southern |
| Attendance: | 64,659 |
The 1981 NCAA Division II basketball tournament involved 32 schools playing in a single-elimination tournament to determine the national champion of men's NCAA Division II college basketball as a culmination of the 1980–81 NCAA Division II men's basketball season. It was won by Florida Southern College and Florida Southern's John Ebeling was the Most Outstanding Player.
| School | Outcome | |
|---|---|---|
| Cheyney | Third Place | |
| Elizabeth City State | Runner-up | |
| Mount St. Mary's | Regional Champion | |
| Randolph–Macon | Fourth Place | |
| School | Outcome | |
|---|---|---|
| Indiana State–Evansville | Fourth Place | |
| Northern Michigan | Regional Champion | |
| Western Illinois | Runner-up | |
| Wright State | Third Place | |
| School | Outcome | |
|---|---|---|
| Central Missouri State | Fourth Place | |
| Green Bay | Regional Champion | |
| North Dakota | Runner-up | |
| North Dakota State | Third Place | |
| School | Outcome | |
|---|---|---|
| Jacksonville State | Third Place | |
| Lincoln (MO) | Fourth Place | |
| North Alabama | Regional Champion | |
| NE Missouri State | Runner-up | |
| School | Outcome | |
|---|---|---|
| Chico State | Fourth Place | |
| Cal State Dominguez Hills | Runner-up | |
| Eastern Montana | Third Place | |
| Puget Sound | Regional Champion | |
| School | Outcome | |
|---|---|---|
| Florida Southern | Regional Champion | |
| Morehouse | Fourth Place | |
| UCF | Runner-up | |
| West Georgia | Third Place | |
| School | Outcome | |
|---|---|---|
| Bloomsburg | Fourth Place | |
| Cal Poly | Regional Champion | |
| Clarion | Runner-up | |
| Monmouth | Third Place | |
| School | Outcome | |
|---|---|---|
| New Hampshire College | Regional Champion | |
| Sacred Heart | Runner-up | |
| Springfield | Fourth Place | |
| Stonehill | Third Place | |
*denotes tie
Location: Memorial Gym Host: Mount Saint Mary's College and Seminary
Location: Western Hall Host: Western Illinois University
Location: Brown County Veterans Memorial Arena Host: University of Wisconsin at Green Bay
Location: Flowers Hall Host: University of North Alabama
Location: Alterowitz Gym Host: Eastern Montana College
Location: UCF Fieldhouse Host: University of Central Florida
Location: William T. Boylan Gymnasium Host: Monmouth College
Location: NHC Fieldhouse Host: New Hampshire College
*denotes each overtime played
Location: Springfield Civic Center Hosts: American International College and Springfield College
*denotes each overtime played