1981 NCAA Division II football season
The 1981 NCAA Division II football season, part of college football in the United States organized by the National Collegiate Athletic Association at the Division II level, began in August 1981, and concluded with the NCAA Division II Football Championship on December 12, 1981, at McAllen Veterans Memorial Stadium in McAllen, Texas. During the game's five-year stretch in McAllen, the "City of Palms", it was referred to as the Palm Bowl.
Southwest Texas State defeated North Dakota State in the championship game, 42–13, to win their first Division II national title.
Conference changes and new programs
- Prior to the 1981 season, the Mid-Continent Conference was shifted from Division II to Division I-AA; its four members, Eastern Illinois, Northern Iowa, Western Illinois, and Southwest Missouri State, all made the transition.
- *Northern Michigan and Youngstown State, who had been members of the Mid-Continent the previous season, departed the league before the shift. NMU remained in Division II while YSU departed for the Ohio Valley Conference in Division I-AA.
| School | 1980 Conference | 1981 Conference |
| Eastern Washington | Evergreen | D-II Independent |
| Mankato State | Northern | North Central |
| Northern Michigan | Mid-Continent | D-II Independent |
| Portland State | I-AA Independent | D-II Independent |
| Southwest Missouri State | MIAA | Mid-Continent |
| St. Cloud State | Northern | North Central |
| Tennessee State | Mid-Continent | Ohio Valley |