| Year: | 1981 |
| Team: | Yale Bulldogs |
| Sport: | football |
| Conference: | Ivy League |
| Short Conf: | Ivy |
| Record: | 9–1 |
| Conf Record: | 6–1 |
| Head Coach: | Carmen Cozza |
| Hc Year: | 17th |
| Stadium: | Yale Bowl |
| Champion: | Ivy League co-champion |
The 1981 Yale Bulldogs football team represented Yale University in the 1981 NCAA Division I-A football season. The Bulldogs were led by 17th-year head coach Carmen Cozza and played their home games at the Yale Bowl. They played as a member of the Ivy League. The Bulldogs finished the season with an overall record of 9–1, including a record of 6–1 in Ivy League play, giving them a share of the Ivy League championship with Dartmouth.[1]