| Year: | 1981 |
| Team: | Vanderbilt Commodores |
| Sport: | football |
| Conference: | Southeastern Conference |
| Short Conf: | SEC |
| Record: | 4–7 |
| Conf Record: | 1–5 |
| Hc Year: | 3rd |
| Off Coach: | Watson Brown |
| Oc Year: | 1st |
| Def Coach: | Ron McCrone |
| Dc Year: | 3rd |
| Stadium: | Vanderbilt Stadium |
The 1981 Vanderbilt Commodores football team represented Vanderbilt University in the 1981 NCAA Division I-A football season. The Commodores were led by head coach George MacIntyre in his third season and finished the season with a record of four wins and seven losses (4–7 overall, 1–5 in the SEC).