1981 MAC men's basketball tournament
{{Short description|none}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=August 2023}}
{{Infobox NCAA Basketball Conference tournament |
| Year = 1981
| Conference = MAC
| Division = I
| Gender = Men's
| Image =
| ImageSize = 200px
| Caption =
| Teams = 7
| 1stRoundArena=Campus Arenas
| 1stRoundCity=Campus Sites
| FinalArena = Crisler Arena
| FinalCity = Ann Arbor, MI
| Champions = Ball State
| TitleCount = 1st
| Coach = Steve Yoder
| CoachCount = 1st
| MVP = Ray McCallum
| MVPTeam = Ball State
| Attendance =
| OneTopScorer =
| TwoTopScorers =
| TopScorer =
| TopScorerTeam =
| TopScorer2 =
| TopScorer2Team =
| Points =
| Television =
}}
{{1980–81 Mid-American Conference men's basketball standings}}
The 1981 MAC men's basketball tournament was held March 3–5 at Crisler Arena in Ann Arbor, Michigan.{{cite web |url=https://www.sports-reference.com/cbb/conferences/mac/1981.html|title=1980-81 Mid-American Conference Season Summary|website=Sports Reference|language=en|access-date=2022-02-18}} Ball State defeated {{cbb link|1980|sex=men|team=Northern Illinois Huskies|title=Northern Illinois}} in the championship game by the score of 79–66 to win their first MAC men's basketball tournament and a bid to the NCAA tournament. There they lost to Boston College in the first round.{{cite web |url=https://www.ncaa.com/news/basketball-men/article/2020-05-19/1981-ncaa-tournament-bracket-scores-stats-records|title=1981 NCAA tournament: Bracket, scores, stats, records|website=NCAA|language=en|access-date=2022-02-18}}{{cite web|url=https://www.sports-reference.com/cbb/schools/ball-state/1981-schedule.html|title=1980-81 Ball State Cardinals Schedule and Results|website=Sports Reference|language=en|access-date=2022-02-18}} Ray McCallum of Central Michigan was named the tournament MVP.{{cite web |url=https://www.foxnews.com/sports/mid-american-conference-mens-basketball-championship-history|title=Mid-American Conference men's basketball championship history|website=FOX News|language=en|access-date=2022-02-18}}
Format
Seven of the ten MAC teams participated. First Round games were played in the home arena of the higher seeded team. The semi-finals and final were played at Crisler Arena in Ann Arbor, Michigan.
Bracket
{{8TeamBracket
| RD1=Quarterfinals
March 3
| RD2=Semifinals
March 4
| RD3=Final
March 5
| byes=1
| RD1-seed3=5
| RD1-team3={{cbb link|1980|sex=men|team=Northern Illinois Huskies|title=Northern Illinois}}
| RD1-score3=79
| RD1-seed4=4
| RD1-team4={{cbb link|1980|sex=men|team=Bowling Green Falcons|title=Bowling Green}}
| RD1-score4=72
| RD1-seed5=3
| RD1-team5={{cbb link|1980|sex=men|team=Toledo Rockets|title=Toledo}}
| RD1-score5=95
| RD1-seed6=6
| RD1-team6= {{cbb link|1980|sex=men|team=Eastern Michigan Eagles|title=Eastern Michigan}}
| RD1-score6=88
| RD1-seed7=7
| RD1-team7=Ohio
| RD1-score7=70
| RD1-seed8=2
| RD1-team8=Ball State
| RD1-score8=85
| RD2-seed1=1
| RD2-team1={{cbb link|1980|sex=men|team=Western Michigan Broncos|title=Western Michigan}}
| RD2-score1=73
| RD2-seed2=5
| RD2-team2=Northern Illinois
| RD2-score2=75
| RD2-seed3=3
| RD2-team3=Toledo
| RD2-score3=77
| RD2-seed4=2
| RD2-team4=Ball State
| RD2-score4=79
| RD3-seed1=5
| RD3-team1=Northern Illinois
| RD3-score1=66
| RD3-seed2=2
| RD3-team2=Ball State
| RD3-score2=79
| RD3-seed3=3
| RD3-team3=Toledo
| RD3-score3=71
| RD3-seed4=1
| RD3-team4=Western Michigan
| RD3-score4=65
}}
References
{{reflist}}
{{Mid-American Conference men's basketball tournament navbox}}
{{1981 NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament navbox}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:MAC men's basketball tournament}}
Category:1981 in sports in Michigan
Category:February 1981 sports events in the United States
Category:Sports in Ann Arbor, Michigan