| Year: | 1981 |
| Team: | Texas Tech Red Raiders |
| Sport: | football |
| Conference: | Southwest Conference |
| Short Conf: | SWC |
| Record: | 1–9–1 |
| Conf Record: | 0–7–1 |
| Head Coach: | Jerry Moore |
| Hc Year: | 1st |
| Def Coach: | Jim Bates[1] |
| Dc Year: | 2nd |
| Def Scheme: | 4–3 |
| Stadium: | Jones Stadium |
The 1981 Texas Tech Red Raiders football team represented Texas Tech University as a member of the Southwest Conference (SWC) during the 1981 NCAA Division I-A football season. In their first season under head coach Jerry Moore, the Red Raiders compiled a 1–9–1 record (4–5 against SWC opponents), were outscored by a combined total of 298 to 198, and finished in ninth and last place in the conference.[2] The team played its home games at Clifford B. and Audrey Jones Stadium in Lubbock, Texas.