American college football season
1981 NCAA Division III football season Regular season August – November 1981 Playoffs November – December 1981 Garrett-Harrison Stadium Phenix City, AL Champion Widener
← 1980 ·
NCAA Division III football seasons
· 1982 →
The 1981 NCAA Division III football season , part of college football in the United States organized by the National Collegiate Athletic Association at the Division III level, began in August 1981, and concluded with the NCAA Division III Football Championship in December 1981 at Garrett-Harrison Stadium in Phenix City, Alabama . The Widener Pioneers won their second Division III championship, defeating the defending national champion Dayton Flyers by a final score of 17−10.[1]
Conference standings [ ]
1981 College Athletic Conference football standings
Conf
Overall
Team
W
L
T
W
L
T
Rose–Hulman $
5
–
0
–
0
6
–
2
–
1
Illinois College
4
–
1
–
0
7
–
2
–
0
Sewanee
3
–
2
–
0
5
–
4
–
0
Centre
2
–
3
–
0
4
–
5
–
0
Southwestern (TN)
1
–
4
–
0
3
–
5
–
1
Principia
0
–
5
–
0
1
–
8
–
0
1981 College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin football standings
Conf
Overall
Team
W
L
T
W
L
T
Augustana (IL) $^
8
–
0
–
0
9
–
1
–
0
Elmhurst
7
–
1
–
0
7
–
2
–
0
Carthage
6
–
2
–
0
7
–
2
–
0
Millikin
3
–
5
–
0
4
–
5
–
0
Carroll (WI)
3
–
5
–
0
3
–
6
–
0
Illinois Wesleyan
3
–
5
–
0
3
–
6
–
0
North Central (IL)
3
–
5
–
0
3
–
6
–
0
North Park
2
–
6
–
0
2
–
7
–
0
Wheaton (IL)
1
–
7
–
0
2
–
7
–
0
$ – Conference champion ^ – NCAA Division III playoff participant
1981 Independent College Athletic Conference football standings
Conf
Overall
Team
W
L
T
W
L
T
Alfred $^
3
–
0
–
0
10
–
1
–
0
Ithaca
2
–
1
–
0
6
–
4
–
0
St. Lawrence
2
–
2
–
0
5
–
4
–
0
RPI
1
–
1
–
0
3
–
6
–
0
Hobart
0
–
4
–
0
1
–
8
–
0
$ – Conference champion ^ – NCAA Division III playoff participant
1981 Iowa Conference football standings
Conf
Overall
Team
W
L
T
W
L
T
Central (IA) $
6
–
1
–
0
6
–
2
–
1
Buena Vista
5
–
2
–
0
7
–
2
–
0
Wartburg
6
–
2
–
0
6
–
3
–
0
Dubuque
4
–
3
–
0
4
–
6
–
0
Luther *
3
–
4
–
0
3
–
6
–
0
Simpson
2
–
5
–
0
3
–
6
–
0
William Penn
2
–
5
–
0
3
–
7
–
0
Upper Iowa
1
–
6
–
0
1
–
8
–
0
$ – Conference champion * – forfeited one non-conference game
1981 Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association football standings
Conf
Overall
Team
W
L
T
W
L
T
Hope $
5
–
0
–
0
6
–
3
–
0
Adrian
4
–
1
–
0
8
–
1
–
0
Albion
2
–
2
–
1
4
–
4
–
1
Kalamazoo
2
–
3
–
0
3
–
6
–
0
Alma
1
–
4
–
0
2
–
7
–
0
Olivet
0
–
4
–
1
3
–
5
–
1
1981 Middle Atlantic Conference football standings
Conf
Overall
Team
W
L
T
W
L
T
Northern
Delaware Valley x
6
–
1
–
0
9
–
2
–
0
Juniata x
6
–
1
–
0
6
–
2
–
1
Albright
4
–
2
–
1
5
–
3
–
1
Lycoming
4
–
2
–
1
5
–
4
–
1
Susquehanna
4
–
3
–
0
6
–
3
–
0
Upsala
2
–
5
–
0
4
–
6
–
0
Fairleigh Dickinson–Florham
1
–
6
–
0
1
–
8
–
0
Wilkes
0
–
7
–
0
0
–
9
–
0
Southern
Widener x^
8
–
0
–
0
13
–
0
–
0
Johns Hopkins
6
–
2
–
0
7
–
2
–
0
Swarthmore
6
–
2
–
0
7
–
2
–
0
Franklin & Marshall
5
–
3
–
0
6
–
3
–
0
Gettysburg
5
–
3
–
0
6
–
4
–
0
Western Maryland
5
–
3
–
0
5
–
3
–
1
Lebanon Valley
4
–
4
–
0
4
–
5
–
0
Muhlenberg
3
–
5
–
0
3
–
5
–
0
Ursinus
1
–
6
–
1
2
–
6
–
1
Moravian
0
–
7
–
1
2
–
8
–
1
Dickinson
0
–
8
–
0
0
–
9
–
0
x – Division champion/co-champions ^ – NCAA Division III playoff participant
1981 Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference football standings
Conf
Overall
Team
W
L
T
W
L
T
Concordia–Moorhead $^
8
–
0
–
0
11
–
0
–
2
Saint John's (MN)
6
–
2
–
0
7
–
2
–
0
St. Thomas (MN)
6
–
2
–
0
7
–
2
–
0
Gustavus Adolphus
5
–
3
–
0
6
–
4
–
0
Augsburg
3
–
5
–
0
4
–
6
–
0
Macalester
2
–
6
–
0
4
–
6
–
0
St. Olaf
2
–
6
–
0
4
–
7
–
0
Bethel (MN)
2
–
6
–
0
3
–
7
–
0
Hamline
2
–
6
–
0
3
–
7
–
0
$ – Conference champion ^ – NAIA Division II playoff participant
1981 New England Football Conference standings
Conf
Overall
Team
W
L
T
W
L
T
Plymouth State $
9
–
0
–
0
9
–
1
–
0
Maine Maritime
7
–
2
–
0
7
–
2
–
0
Massachusetts Maritime
6
–
3
–
0
6
–
3
–
0
Western New England
5
–
4
–
0
5
–
4
–
0
Nichols
5
–
4
–
0
5
–
4
–
0
Framingham State
4
–
5
–
0
4
–
5
–
0
Bridgewater State
3
–
6
–
0
3
–
6
–
0
Curry
3
–
6
–
0
3
–
6
–
0
Western Connecticut State
1
–
7
–
0
1
–
8
–
0
Boston State *
1
–
8
–
0
1
–
8
–
0
$ – Conference champion * – Boston State's game against Norwich counted in the conference standings.
1981 New Jersey State Athletic Conference football standings
Conf
Overall
Team
W
L
T
W
L
T
Montclair State $^
6
–
0
–
0
10
–
2
–
0
Ramapo
4
–
1
–
1
6
–
2
–
1
Glassboro State
4
–
2
–
0
5
–
5
–
0
Trenton State
3
–
2
–
1
5
–
4
–
1
William Paterson
2
–
4
–
0
4
–
6
–
0
Kean
1
–
5
–
0
3
–
7
–
0
Jersey City State
0
–
6
–
0
2
–
8
–
0
$ – Conference champion ^ – NCAA Division III playoff participant
1981 Ohio Athletic Conference football standings
Conf
Overall
Team
W
L
T
W
L
T
Blue Division
Wittenberg xy$
6
–
0
–
0
8
–
2
–
0
Capital
4
–
2
–
0
6
–
3
–
0
Ohio Northern
4
–
2
–
0
6
–
3
–
0
Wooster
3
–
3
–
0
4
–
5
–
0
Ohio Wesleyan
2
–
4
–
0
4
–
5
–
0
Denison
1
–
5
–
0
3
–
6
–
0
Muskingum
1
–
5
–
0
3
–
6
–
0
Red Division
Baldwin–Wallace xy
5
–
0
–
0
8
–
2
–
0
Otterbein
3
–
2
–
0
7
–
2
–
0
Mount Union
3
–
2
–
0
5
–
4
–
0
Kenyon
2
–
3
–
0
5
–
4
–
0
Heidelberg
2
–
3
–
0
2
–
7
–
0
Marietta
0
–
5
–
0
0
–
9
–
0
Not competing for championship
Oberlin
–
3
–
6
–
0
Championship: Wittenberg 10 , Baldwin–Wallace 7
$ – Conference champion x – Division champion/co-champions y – Championship game participant
1981 Old Dominion Athletic Conference football standings
Conf
Overall
Team
W
L
T
W
L
T
Washington and Lee $
4
–
1
–
0
8
–
2
–
0
Maryville (TN)
4
–
1
–
0
5
–
4
–
1
Randolph–Macon
3
–
1
–
1
5
–
3
–
1
Hampden–Sydney
2
–
2
–
1
2
–
7
–
1
Bridgewater
0
–
4
–
1
2
–
6
–
1
Emory & Henry
0
–
4
–
1
1
–
8
–
1
$ – Conference champion Washington and Lee won the conference title by virtue of their win over Maryville.
1981 Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference football standings
Conf
Overall
Team
W
L
T
W
L
T
Whittier $
5
–
0
–
0
6
–
4
–
0
Claremont-Mudd
4
–
1
–
0
4
–
5
–
0
Redlands
3
–
2
–
0
5
–
5
–
0
Occidental
1
–
4
–
0
3
–
7
–
0
La Verne
1
–
4
–
0
2
–
7
–
0
Pomona-Pitzer
1
–
4
–
0
1
–
8
–
0
1981 NCAA Division III independents football records
Conf
Overall
Team
W
L
T
W
L
T
DePauw
–
9
–
1
–
0
San Diego
–
9
–
1
–
0
Wagner
–
9
–
1
–
0
West Georgia ^
–
9
–
1
–
0
Dayton ^
–
12
–
2
–
0
Albany
–
7
–
3
–
0
Georgetown
–
5
–
3
–
0
Cortland
–
6
–
4
–
0
Brockport
–
5
–
5
–
0
Buffalo
–
5
–
5
–
0
Buffalo State
–
3
–
3
–
0
Fordham
–
5
–
5
–
0
Iona
–
5
–
5
–
0
Rochester (NY)
–
4
–
4
–
1
Union (NY)
–
4
–
4
–
1
Colorado College
–
4
–
5
–
0
Duquesne
–
4
–
5
–
0
Frostburg State
–
4
–
5
–
0
Canisius
–
4
–
6
–
0
Hofstra
–
4
–
6
–
0
UCF
–
4
–
6
–
0
Saint Francis (PA)
–
3
–
6
–
1
Norwich
–
3
–
7
–
0
Salisbury State
–
2
–
7
–
0
Catholic University
–
1
–
8
–
0
^ – NCAA Division III playoff participant
Conference champions [ ]
Conference champions
College Athletic Conference – Rose-Hulman
College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin – Augustana (IL)
Independent College Athletic Conference – Alfred
Iowa Intercollegiate Athletic Conference – Central (IA)
Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association – Hope
Middle Atlantic Conference – Delaware Valley and Juniata (North), Widener (South)
Midwest Collegiate Athletic Conference – Lawrence
Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference – Concordia–Moorhead
New England Football Conference – Plymouth State
New Jersey State Athletic Conference – Montclair State
Northwest Conference – Pacific Lutheran
Ohio Athletic Conference – Baldwin Wallace (Red Division), Wittenberg (Blue Division)
Old Dominion Athletic Conference – Washington & Lee
Presidents' Athletic Conference – Carnegie Mellon
Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference – Whittier
Texas Intercollegiate Athletic Association – Austin and Sul Ross State
Twin Rivers Conference – Concordia–St. Paul and Northwestern–St. Paul
Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference – Wisconsin–Eau Claire
Postseason [ ]
The 1981 NCAA Division III Football Championship playoffs were the ninth annual single-elimination tournament to determine the national champion of men's NCAA Division III college football. The championship game was held at Garrett-Harrison Stadium in Phenix City, Alabama for the ninth consecutive year. Like the previous six championships, eight teams competed in this edition.[2]
Playoff bracket [ ]
Quarterfinals Campus Sites
Semifinals Campus Sites
National Championship Game Garrett-Harrison Stadium Phenix City, AL
Dayton
19
Augustana (IL)
7
Dayton
38
Lawrence
0
Lawrence
21 *
Minnesota–Morris
14
Dayton
10
Widener
17
Montclair State
13
Alfred
12
Montclair State
12
Widener
23
Widener
10
West Georgia
3
See also [ ]
References [ ]
Pre-NCAA
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NCAA pre-divisional NCAA University Division
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NCAA Division I NCAA Division I-A/FBS NCAA Division I-AA/FCS NCAA College Division NCAA Division II NCAA Division III