1981 NCAA Division I-AA football season#Playoff
{{Short description|American college football season}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=August 2023}}
{{Infobox NCAA Division I-AA season
| year = 1981
| image = File:NCAA primary logo 1980.svg
| image_caption =
| number_of_teams = 51{{cite web |url=http://cfbscores.infinityfreeapp.com/standings.php?season=1981&class=FCS |title=Standings for the 1981 FCS Season|access-date=February 25, 2025}}
| regular_season = September 5–November 28, 1981{{cite web |url=http://cfbscores.infinityfreeapp.com/file.php?season=1981&att=FCS |title=1981 (Admin)|access-date=2025-02-25}}
| playoffs = December 5–December 19, 1981{{cite web |url=http://cfbscores.infinityfreeapp.com/file.php?season=1981&att=FCS |title=1981 (Admin)|access-date=2025-02-25}}
| nc_date = December 19, 1981
| championship = Memorial Stadium
Wichita Falls, Texas
| champions = Idaho State
}}
The 1981 NCAA Division I-AA football season, part of college football in the United States organized by the National Collegiate Athletic Association at the Division I-AA level, began in August 1981 and concluded with the 1981 NCAA Division I-AA Football Championship Game on December 19, 1981, at Memorial Stadium in Wichita Falls, Texas. The Idaho State Bengals won their first I-AA championship, defeating the Eastern Kentucky Colonels in the Pioneer Bowl, 34−23.{{cite web |title=1981 NCAA Division I Football Championship |url=http://fs.ncaa.org/Docs/stats/football_champs_records/2012/d1/2012FCSfbchamp.pdf |website=NCAA.org |access-date=December 29, 2013 |page=14}}{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=EPVVAAAAIBAJ&sjid=WuIDAAAAIBAJ&pg=4961%2C5321360 |newspaper=Eugene Register-Guard |location=(Oregon)|agency=Associated Press |title=Bengals win I-AA crown |date=December 20, 1981 |page=6D}}{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=HMxeAAAAIBAJ&sjid=tDIMAAAAIBAJ&pg=4991%2C1997189 |newspaper=Lewiston Morning Tribune |location=(Idaho) |agency=Associated Press |title=Bengals ride like the wind |date=December 20, 1981 |page=2D }}
Conference changes and new programs
- Prior to the 1981 season, the Mid-Continent Conference reclassified from Division II to Division I-AA with its four members, Eastern Illinois, Northern Iowa, Western Illinois, and Southwest Missouri State (now Missouri State). Northern Michigan and Youngstown State, which had been members of the Mid-Continent in the 1980 season, departed the league before the shift; Northern Michigan remained in Division II, and Youngstown State transitioned to I-AA as a member of the Ohio Valley Conference.
| class="wikitable sortable" | ||
| School | 1980 Conference | 1981 Conference |
|---|---|---|
| style="text-align:center;" | Mid-Continent (D-II) | Mid-Continent (I-AA) |
| style="text-align:center;" | Mid-Continent (D-II) | Mid-Continent (I-AA) |
| style="text-align:center;" | I-AA Independent | D-II Independent |
| style="text-align:center;" | Mid-Continent (D-II) | Mid-Continent (I-AA) |
| style="text-align:center;" | I-A Independent | I-AA Independent |
| style="text-align:center;" | Mid-Continent (D-II) | Mid-Continent (I-AA) |
| style="text-align:center;" | Mid-Continent (D-II) | Ohio Valley (I-AA) |
Conference standings
| cellpadding="5"
|valign="top" width=25em|{{1981 Association of Mid-Continent Universities football standings}} |valign="top" width=25em|{{1981 Big Sky Conference football standings}} |valign="top" width=25em|{{1981 Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference football standings}} |
| valign="top" width=25em|{{1981 Southern Conference football standings}}
|valign="top" width=25em|{{1981 Ohio Valley Conference football standings}} |valign="top" width=25em|{{1981 Southwestern Athletic Conference football standings}} |valign="top" width=25em|{{1981 Yankee Conference football standings}} |
| valign="top" width=25em|{{1981 NCAA Division I-AA independents football standings}} |
Conference champions
{{see also|List of NCAA Division I-AA/FCS football seasons}}
| class="wikitable" |
| Conference champions |
|---|
| Big Sky Conference – Idaho State Mid-Continent Conference – Eastern Illinois, Western Illinois, Northern Iowa Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference – South Carolina State Ohio Valley Conference – Eastern Kentucky Southwestern Athletic Conference – Jackson State Yankee Conference – Massachusetts and Rhode Island |
Postseason
After holding four-team playoffs after the first three I-AA seasons, the NCAA increased the bracket size to eight this postseason. It grew to twelve in 1982 and sixteen in 1986. The eight-team field was determined via automatic bids to five conference champions (Idaho State, South Carolina State, Eastern Kentucky, Jackson State, and Rhode Island), a bid to the top-ranked independent team (Tennessee State), and two at-large bids (Boise State and Delaware).{{cite news |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/28229079/meac_gets_berth_in_iaa_football/ |title=MEAC gets berth in I-AA football playoffs |first=Barry |last=Cooper |newspaper=Tallahassee Democrat |page=23 |date=May 1, 1981 |access-date=February 9, 2019 |via=newspapers.com}}
=NCAA Division I-AA playoff bracket=
{{8TeamBracket
| RD1=First Round
December 5
Campus sites
| RD2=Semifinals
December 12
Campus sites
| RD3=National Championship Game
Pioneer Bowl
December 19
{{nowrap| Memorial Stadium—Wichita Falls, TX }}
| RD1-seed1= 7
| RD1-team1= Delaware
| RD1-score1= 28
| RD1-seed2= 1
| RD1-team2= Eastern Kentucky*
| RD1-score2= 35
| RD1-seed3=4
| RD1-team3= Boise State
| RD1-score3= 19
| RD1-seed4=5
| RD1-team4= Jackson State*
| RD1-score4= 7
| RD1-seed5= 8
| RD1-team5= Rhode Island
| RD1-score5= 0
| RD1-seed6= 2
| RD1-team6= Idaho State*
| RD1-score6= 51
| RD1-seed7=6
| RD1-team7= Tennessee State
| RD1-score7= 25
| RD1-seed8= 3
| RD1-team8= South Carolina State*
| RD1-score8= 26*
| RD2-seed1= 1
| RD2-team1= Eastern Kentucky
| RD2-score1= 23
| RD2-seed2= 4
| RD2-team2= Boise State*
| RD2-score2= 17
| RD2-seed3= 2
| RD2-team3= Idaho State*
| RD2-score3= 41
| RD2-seed4= 3
| RD2-team4= South Carolina State
| RD2-score4= 12
| RD3-seed1= 1
| RD3-team1= Eastern Kentucky
| RD3-score1= 23
| RD3-seed2= 2
| RD3-team2= Idaho State
| RD3-score2= 34
}}
Source:{{cite news |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/28228318/ncaa_sets_playoffs_for_iaa_teams/ |title=NCAA sets playoffs for I-AA teams |agency=UPI |newspaper=Fort Lauderdale News |location=Fort Lauderdale, Florida |page=29 |date=November 29, 1981 |access-date=February 9, 2019 |via=newspapers.com}}