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1981 NCAA Division II football season

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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.

Regular seasonAugust – November 1981
PlayoffsDecember 1981
National ChampionshipPalm Bowl
Veterans Stadium
McAllen, TX
ChampionSouthwest Texas State
Quick facts Regular season, Playoffs ...
1981 NCAA Division II football season
Regular seasonAugust – November 1981
PlayoffsDecember 1981
National ChampionshipPalm Bowl
Veterans Stadium
McAllen, TX
ChampionSouthwest Texas State
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Southwest Texas State defeated North Dakota State in the championship game, 42–13, to win their first Division II national title.[1]

Conference realignment

Conference changes

Membership changes

More information School, 1980 Conference ...
School1980 Conference1981 Conference
Abilene ChristianLone Star (NAIA)Lone Star (D-II)
Angelo StateLone Star (NAIA)Lone Star (D-II)
Eastern WashingtonEvergreen (NAIA)D-II Independent
LibertyNAIA IndependentD-II Independent
Mankato StateNorthernIndependent
Northern MichiganMid-ContinentD-II Independent
Portland StateI-AA IndependentD-II Independent
Southwest Missouri StateMIAAMid-Continent (I-AA)
New HavenNEFC (D-III)D-II Independent
Sonoma StateClub TeamIndependent
St. Mary'sD-III IndependentD-II Independent
Southwest Texas StateLone Star (NAIA)Lone Star (D-II)
St. Cloud StateNorthernIndependent
Texas A&ILone Star (NAIA)Lone Star (D-II)
Youngstown StateMid-Continent (D-II)Ohio Valley (I-AA)
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Conference standings

More information Conf., Overall ...
1981 California Collegiate Athletic Association football standings
Conf.Overall
TeamW L TW L T
Cal State Northridge $2–0–06–4–1
Cal Poly Pomona1–1–04–7–0
Cal Poly0–2–04–5–0
  • $ – Conference champion
1981 Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association football standings
Conf.Overall
TeamW L TW L T
Northern Division
No. 2 Virginia Union xy$^7–0–011–1–0
Elizabeth City State ^6–1–08–3–0
No. 10 Hampton5–2–08–2–0
Norfolk State3–4–04–5–1
Virginia State3–4–04–6–0
Saint Paul's (VA)0–7–00–10–0
Southern Division
North Carolina Central xy6–1–07–4–0
Winston-Salem State4–3–05–5–0
Johnson C. Smith3–4–04–6–0
Fayetteville State2–5–03–5–0
Livingstone1–6–03–7–0
Bowie State *2–5–05–5–0
Championship: Virginia Union 45, North Carolina Central 7
  • $ – Conference champion
  • x – Division champion/co-champions
  • y – Championship game participant
  • ^ – NCAA Division II playoff participant
  • * – ineligible for conference title
Rankings from NCAA Division II Football Committee poll for Virginia Union and NAIA Division I poll for Hampton
1981 Far Western Conference football standings
Conf.Overall
TeamW L TW L T
UC Davis +4–1–06–4–0
Cal State Hayward +4–1–06–4–1
Humboldt State3–2–06–4–0
Chico State3–2–05–5–0
Sacramento State1–4–05–6–0
San Francisco State0–5–03–7–0
  • + – Conference co-champions
1981 Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference football standings
Conf.Overall
TeamW L TW L T
Grand Valley State $6–0–07–2–0
No. 3 Hillsdale ^5–1–010–2–0
Ferris State3–3–04–4–0
Wayne State (MI)3–3–04–5–0
Northwood2–4–04–6–0
Saginaw Valley State2–4–03–7–0
Michigan Tech0–6–01–8–0
  • $ – Conference champion
  • ^ – NAIA Division I playoff participant
Rankings from NAIA Division I poll
1981 Gulf South Conference football standings
Conf.Overall
TeamW L TW L T
No. 5 Jacksonville State $^6–0–08–3–0
No. T–10 North Alabama4–2–08–2–0
Livingston4–2–06–3–0
Mississippi College3–3–06–4–0
Tennessee–Martin3–3–04–7–0
Troy State1–5–03–7–0
Delta State0–6–03–7–0
  • $ – Conference champion
  • ^ – NCAA Division II playoff participant
Rankings from NCAA Division II Football Committee poll
1981 Heartland Collegiate Conference standings
Conf.Overall
TeamW L TW L T
Franklin (IN) +6–1–08–2–0
Indiana Central +6–1–07–4–0
Saint Joseph's (IN)5–2–06–3–0
Ashland5–2–06–4–0
Butler2–5–03–7–0
Evansville2–5–03–8–0
Georgetown (KY)1–6–01–9–0
Valparaiso1–6–01–9–0
  • + – Conference co-champions
1981 Lone Star Conference football standings
Conf.Overall
TeamW L TW L T
No. 4 Southwest Texas State $^6–1–013–1–0
No. 9 Texas A&I5–2–09–2–0
Abilene Christian5–2–08–2–0
Angelo State5–2–08–3–0
No. 17 East Texas State4–3–07–4–0
Sam Houston State2–5–03–7–0
Howard Payne1–6–03–7–0
Stephen F. Austin0–7–01–10–0
  • $ – Conference champion
  • ^ – NCAA Division II playoff participant
Rankings from NCAA Division II Football Committee poll for Southwest Texas State and Texas A&I and NAIA Division I poll for East Texas State
1981 Missouri Intercollegiate Athletic Association football standings
Conf.Overall
TeamW L TW L T
NE Missouri State $4–1–06–4–0
Missouri-Rolla3–1–16–3–1
NW Missouri State3–2–06–4–0
Central Missouri State2–2–14–4–3
SE Missouri State2–3–02–9–0
Lincoln (MO)0–5–00–11–0
  • $ – Conference champion
  • ^ – NCAA Division II playoff participant
1981 North Central Conference football standings
Conf.Overall
TeamW L TW L T
No. 6 North Dakota State $^7–0–010–3–0
North Dakota4–3–06–4–0
Northern Colorado4–3–05–4–0
South Dakota *3–3–15–6–0
Nebraska–Omaha3–4–05–6–0
South Dakota State *2–4–14–6–0
Morningside2–5–05–6–0
Augustana (SD)2–5–03–7–0
  • + – Conference co-champions
  • ^ – NCAA Division II playoff participant
  • * – South Dakota and South Dakota State split two head-to-head games, which counted as a tie for each team in the conference standings.
Rankings from AP Poll
1981 Northern Intercollegiate Conference football standings
Conf.Overall
TeamW L TW L T
No. 1 Moorhead State $*6–0–010–1–1
Minnesota Duluth5–1–09–1–0
Minnesota Morris ^4–2–07–3–1
Southwest State (MN)3–3–06–4–0
Northern State2–4–04–6–0
Winona State1–5–01–9–0
Bemidji State0–6–00–10–0
  • $ – Conference champion
  • ^ – NCAA Division III playoff participant
  • * – NAIA Division I playoff participant
Rankings from NAIA Division I poll
1981 Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference football standings
Conf.Overall
TeamW L TW L T
East Division
Millersville xy5–0–08–3–0
Kutztown3–2–05–4–0
East Stroudsburg3–2–04–6–0
Mansfield3–2–04–6–0
Cheyney1–4–02–8–0
Bloomsburg0–5–00–10–0
West Division
No. 8 Shippensburg xy$^6–0–012–1–0
California (PA)4–2–05–5–0
Clarion3–3–06–4–0
Lock Haven3–3–06–4–0
Indiana (PA)2–4–04–6–0
Slippery Rock2–4–02–7–0
Edinboro1–5–02–6–0
Championship: Shippensburg 34, Millersville 17
  • $ – Conference champion
  • x – Division champion/co-champions
  • y – Championship game participant
  • ^ – NCAA Division II playoff participant
Rankings from AP Poll
1981 Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference football standings
Conf.Overall
TeamW L TW L T
Division II
Morris Brown *6–1–06–4–0
Alabama A&M x2–1–07–3–0
Fort Valley State5–2–09–2–0
Tuskegee5–2–07–4–0
Savannah State4–4–04–6–0
Morehouse3–6–03–7–0
Albany State0–7–00–10–0
Division III
Knoxville x4–1–06–2–0
Clark3–3–03–6–0
Miles2–3–12–7–1
Lane2–3–12–7–1
Fisk0–6–00–9–0
  • x – Division champion/co-champions
  • * – Morris Brown was stripped of their division title for using ineligible players. Alabama A&M is recognized as the Division II champion by the SIAC.
1981 NCAA Division II independents football records
Conf.Overall
TeamW L TW L T
No. 1 Northern Michigan ^ – 11–1–0
Puget Sound – 10–2–0
West Chester – 8–3–0
Eastern Washington – 7–3–0
Saint Mary's – 7–3–0
C.W. Post – 7–4–0
Southern Connecticut State – 6–3–1
Alabama State – 5–4–1
Arkansas–Pine Bluff – 5–4–2
Central Connecticut – 5–5–0
Mankato State – 5–5–0
Towson State – 5–5–0
Springfield – 5–4–0
New Haven – 4–4–2
Morgan State – 4–5–0
St. Cloud State – 4–6–1
Central State (OH) – 4–7–0
Sonoma State – 3–7–0
Kentucky State – 2–6–0
Santa Clara – 2–8–0
Portland State – 2–9–0
American International – 1–8–0
Liberty – 1–9–0
  • ^ – NCAA Division II playoff participant
Rankings from NCAA Division II Football Committee poll
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Conference summaries

See also: List of NCAA Division II football seasons
More information Conference Champions ...
Conference Champions

Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association – Virginia Union
Far Western Football Conference – UC Davis and Cal State–Hayward
Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference – Grand Valley State
Gulf South Conference – Jacksonville State
Heartland Collegiate Conference – Franklin and Indiana Central
Lone Star Conference – Southwest Texas State
Missouri Intercollegiate Athletic Association – Northeast Missouri State
North Central Conference – North Dakota State
Northern Intercollegiate Conference – Minnesota State–Moorhead
Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference – Shippensburg
Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference – New Mexico Highlands
South Atlantic Conference – Elon
Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference – Alabama A&M

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Postseason

Quick facts II Football Championship, Teams ...
1981 NCAA Division II Football Championship
Teams8
Finals Site
Champion
Runner-up
Semifinalists
Winning coach
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The 1981 NCAA Division II Football Championship playoffs were the ninth single-elimination tournament to determine the national champion of men's NCAA Division II college football. The championship game was held at McAllen Veterans Memorial Stadium in McAllen, Texas, for the first time.

Playoff bracket

First round
Campus sites 		Semifinals
Campus sites 		Championship
McAllen Veterans Memorial Stadium
McAllen, TX
         
Northern Michigan 55
Elizabeth City State 6
Northern Michigan 0
Southwest Texas State 62
Southwest Texas State 38
Jacksonville State 22
Southwest Texas State 42
North Dakota State 13
North Dakota State 24
Puget Sound 10
North Dakota State 18
Shippensburg 6
Shippensburg 40
Virginia Union 27

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