1981 playoffs

Champion

TS Texas State beat ND North Dakota State 42-13 in McAllen, Texas.

Championship 1

• TS Texas State 42
  ND North Dakota State 13

Semifinals 2

• ND North Dakota State 18
  SU Shippensburg 6
• TS Texas State 62
  NM Northern Michigan 0

First round 4

• ND North Dakota State 24
  UO Puget Sound 10
• NM Northern Michigan 55
  EC Elizabeth City State 6
• SU Shippensburg 40
  VU Virginia Union 27
• TS Texas State 38
  JS Jacksonville State 22

The field 8 teams

School	Finish
TS Texas State	Won the championship
ND North Dakota State	Lost in the championship
NM Northern Michigan	Lost in the semifinals
SU Shippensburg	Lost in the semifinals
EC Elizabeth City State	Lost in the first round
JS Jacksonville State	Lost in the first round
UO Puget Sound	Lost in the first round
VU Virginia Union	Lost in the first round

Source: NCAA Division II championship records (D2champs.pdf), through 2025. Loaded Sep 25, 5:21 PM CT. Checked for a newer edition Oct 26, 7:15 AM CT.