1981 NCAA Division II basketball tournament

The 1981 NCAA Division II basketball tournament involved 32 schools playing in a single-elimination tournament to determine the national champion of men's NCAA Division II college basketball as a culmination of the 1980–81 NCAA Division II men's basketball season. It was won by Florida Southern College and Florida Southern's John Ebeling was the Most Outstanding Player.

Emmitsburg

W. Long Br.

Manchester

Green Bay

Florence

Macomb

San Luis Obispo

Billings

Tacoma

Orlando

Springfield

class=notpageimage|

1981 NCAA Division II Men's sites - regionals (cyan) Quarterfinals (orange) Final Four (red)

Regional participants

*denotes tie

Regionals

South Atlantic - Emmitsburg, Maryland

Location: Memorial Gym Host: Mount Saint Mary's College and Seminary

Third Place - Cheyney 76, Randolph-Macon 67

Great Lakes - Macomb, Illinois

Location: Western Hall Host: Western Illinois University

Third Place - Wright State 96, Indiana State–Evansville 89

North Central - Green Bay, Wisconsin

Location: Brown County Veterans Memorial Arena Host: University of Wisconsin at Green Bay

Third Place - North Dakota State 95, Central Missouri State 87

South Central - Florence, Alabama

Location: Flowers Hall Host: University of North Alabama

Third Place - Jacksonville State 84, Lincoln 66

West - Billings, Montana

Location: Alterowitz Gym Host: Eastern Montana College

Third Place - Eastern Montana 54, Chico State 49

South - Orlando, Florida

Location: UCF Fieldhouse Host: University of Central Florida

Third Place - West Georgia 102, Morehouse 76

East - West Long Branch, New Jersey

Location: William T. Boylan Gymnasium Host: Monmouth College

Third Place - Monmouth 79, Bloomsburg 64

New England - Manchester, New Hampshire

Location: NHC Fieldhouse Host: New Hampshire College

Third Place - Stonehill 79, Springfield 78

*denotes each overtime played

National Quarterfinals

National Finals - Springfield, Massachusetts

Location: Springfield Civic Center Hosts: American International College and Springfield College

Third Place - Cal Poly 62, Green Bay 61**