| Teams | 32 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Finals site | Springfield, Massachusetts | ||||
| Champions | Florida Southern Moccasins (1st title) | ||||
| Runner-up | Mount St. Mary's Mountaineers (2nd title game) | ||||
| Semifinalists |
| ||||
| Winning coach | Hal Wissel (1st title) | ||||
| MOP | John Ebeling (Florida Southern) | ||||
| Attendance | 64,659 | ||||
| |||||
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.

Regional participants
| School | Outcome | |
|---|---|---|
| Cheyney | Third Place | |
| Elizabeth City State | Runner-up | |
| Mount St. Mary's | Regional Champion | |
| Randolph–Macon | Fourth Place | |
| School | Outcome | |
|---|---|---|
| Indiana State–Evansville | Fourth Place | |
| Northern Michigan | Regional Champion | |
| Western Illinois | Runner-up | |
| Wright State | Third Place | |
| School | Outcome | |
|---|---|---|
| Central Missouri State | Fourth Place | |
| Green Bay | Regional Champion | |
| North Dakota | Runner-up | |
| North Dakota State | Third Place | |
| School | Outcome | |
|---|---|---|
| Jacksonville State | Third Place | |
| Lincoln (MO) | Fourth Place | |
| North Alabama | Regional Champion | |
| NE Missouri State | Runner-up | |
| School | Outcome | |
|---|---|---|
| Chico State | Fourth Place | |
| Cal State Dominguez Hills | Runner-up | |
| Eastern Montana | Third Place | |
| Puget Sound | Regional Champion | |
| School | Outcome | |
|---|---|---|
| Florida Southern | Regional Champion | |
| Morehouse | Fourth Place | |
| UCF | Runner-up | |
| West Georgia | Third Place | |
| School | Outcome | |
|---|---|---|
| Bloomsburg | Fourth Place | |
| Cal Poly | Regional Champion | |
| Clarion | Runner-up | |
| Monmouth | Third Place | |
| School | Outcome | |
|---|---|---|
| New Hampshire College | Regional Champion | |
| Sacred Heart | Runner-up | |
| Springfield | Fourth Place | |
| Stonehill | Third Place | |
*denotes tie
Regionals
South Atlantic - Emmitsburg, Maryland
Location: Memorial Gym Host: Mount Saint Mary's College and Seminary
| Regional semifinals Round of 32 March 6 | Regional Final Sweet 16 March 7 | ||||||||
| Mount St. Mary's | 81 | ||||||||
| Cheyney | 75 | ||||||||
| Mount St. Mary's | 78 | ||||||||
| Elizabeth City State | 76 | ||||||||
| Elizabeth City State | 54 | ||||||||
| Randolph–Macon | 53 | ||||||||
- Third Place - Cheyney 76, Randolph-Macon 67
Great Lakes - Macomb, Illinois
Location: Western Hall Host: Western Illinois University
| Regional semifinals Round of 32 March 6 | Regional Final Sweet 16 March 7 | ||||||||
| Western Illinois | 80 | ||||||||
| Indiana State–Evansville | 73 | ||||||||
| Western Illinois | 87 | ||||||||
| Northern Michigan | 93 | ||||||||
| Northern Michigan | 70 | ||||||||
| Wright State | 69 | ||||||||
- 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
| Regional semifinals Round of 32 March 6 | Regional Final Sweet 16 March 7 | ||||||||
| Green Bay | 82 | ||||||||
| North Dakota State | 76 | ||||||||
| Green Bay | 72 | ||||||||
| North Dakota | 60 | ||||||||
| North Dakota | 87 | ||||||||
| Central Missouri State | 80 | ||||||||
- Third Place - North Dakota State 95, Central Missouri State 87
South Central - Florence, Alabama
Location: Flowers Hall Host: University of North Alabama
| Regional semifinals Round of 32 March 5 | Regional Final Sweet 16 March 6 | ||||||||
| North Alabama | 67 | ||||||||
| Lincoln | 53 | ||||||||
| North Alabama | 63 | ||||||||
| NE Missouri State | 59 | ||||||||
| NE Missouri State | 82 | ||||||||
| Jacksonville State | 78 | ||||||||
- Third Place - Jacksonville State 84, Lincoln 66
West - Billings, Montana
Location: Alterowitz Gym Host: Eastern Montana College
| Regional semifinals Round of 32 March 6 | Regional Final Sweet 16 March 7 | ||||||||
| Puget Sound | 62 | ||||||||
| Chico State | 60 | ||||||||
| Puget Sound | 72 | ||||||||
| Cal State Dominguez Hills | 54 | ||||||||
| Cal State Dominguez Hills | 61 | ||||||||
| Eastern Montana | 52 | ||||||||
- Third Place - Eastern Montana 54, Chico State 49
South - Orlando, Florida
Location: UCF Fieldhouse Host: University of Central Florida
| Regional semifinals Round of 32 March 6 | Regional Final Sweet 16 March 7 | ||||||||
| UCF | 94 | ||||||||
| Morehouse | 77 | ||||||||
| UCF | 71 | ||||||||
| Florida Southern | 73 | ||||||||
| Florida Southern | 70 | ||||||||
| West Georgia | 59 | ||||||||
- Third Place - West Georgia 102, Morehouse 76
East - West Long Branch, New Jersey
Location: William T. Boylan Gymnasium Host: Monmouth College
| Regional semifinals Round of 32 March 6 | Regional Final Sweet 16 March 7 | ||||||||
| Clarion | 80 | ||||||||
| Monmouth | 78 | ||||||||
| Clarion | 61 | ||||||||
| Cal Poly | 84 | ||||||||
| Cal Poly | 71 | ||||||||
| Bloomsburg | 43 | ||||||||
- Third Place - Monmouth 79, Bloomsburg 64
New England - Manchester, New Hampshire
Location: NHC Fieldhouse Host: New Hampshire College
| Regional semifinals Round of 32 March 6 | Regional Final Sweet 16 March 7 | ||||||||
| New Hampshire College | 76 | ||||||||
| Springfield | 75 | ||||||||
| New Hampshire College | 81 | ||||||||
| Sacred Heart | 80 | ||||||||
| Sacred Heart | 89 | ||||||||
| Stonehill | 86 | ||||||||
- Third Place - Stonehill 79, Springfield 78
*denotes each overtime played
National Quarterfinals
| Quarterfinal - Emmitsburg, MD Elite Eight March 14 | ||||
| Mount St. Mary's | 88 | |||
| Northern Michigan | 74 | |||
| Quarterfinal - Green Bay, WI Elite Eight March 14 | ||||
| North Alabama | 39 | |||
| Wisconsin-Green Bay | 65 | |||
| Quarterfinal - San Luis Obispo, CA Elite Eight March 14 | ||||
| New Hampshire College | 73 | |||
| Cal Poly-SLO | 77 | |||
| Quarterfinal - Tacoma, WA Elite Eight March 14 | ||||
| Florida Southern | 56 | |||
| Puget Sound | 55 | |||
National Finals - Springfield, Massachusetts
Location: Springfield Civic Center Hosts: American International College and Springfield College
| National semifinals Final Four March 20 | National Championship March 21 | ||||||||
| Mount St. Mary's | 76 | ||||||||
| Green Bay | 60 | ||||||||
| Mount St. Mary's | 68 | ||||||||
| Florida Southern | 73 | ||||||||
| Florida Southern | 54 | ||||||||
| Cal Poly | 51 | ||||||||
- Third Place - Cal Poly 62, Green Bay 61**
*denotes each overtime played
All-tournament team
- Jay Bruchak (Mount Saint Mary's)
- John Ebeling (Florida Southern)
- Mike Hayes (Florida Southern)
- Durelle Lewis (Mount Saint Mary's)
- Jim Rowe (Mount Saint Mary's)