1981 NBA playoffs, Conference Finals, Eastern Conference Finals, (1) Boston Celtics vs. (3) Philadelphia 76ers
Bird's lay-up made it 109–108 with 47 seconds left. After a Sixers timeout, Bobby Jones' inbounds pass was deflected by Bird, then tipped by Dawkins. Bird reached for the ball while Jones put his hands up to show he didn't touch it as the ball went out-of-bounds. The referees gave the 76ers the ball, much to Bird's dismay. He argued to the refs that he didn't touch it. They met to make a decision. After a few minutes, possession was awarded to the 76ers, and Jones cleanly inbounded to Dawkins. He passed to Hollins, who gave it to Toney, who almost lost and palmed the ball, but the referees let play continue despite the jeers from the crowd. Toney tried to get the ball to Erving, but M.L. Carr deflected it out-of-bounds.


1981 NBA playoffs, Conference Finals, Eastern Conference Finals, (1) Boston Celtics vs. (3) Philadelphia 76ers
The last 29 seconds had a few moments that were reminiscent of earlier Boston Garden lore. Erving stood in almost the same spot where Hal Greer had his pass stolen by John Havlicek to seal the 1965 Eastern Division Finals. However, the 76ers were ahead this time. Erving inbounded the ball, but it got past Jones and started rolling along the sideline. Bird grabbed it and drove to the hoop with only Jones to stop him. He beat Bird to the hoop to challenge his floater. Carr got the rebound and missed, but a foul was called on Erving. With the season on the line and 20 seconds left, Carr hit both to give Boston a 110–109 lead.


1981 NBA playoffs, Conference Finals, Eastern Conference Finals, (1) Boston Celtics vs. (3) Philadelphia 76ers
After a timeout, Lionel Hollins took the ball up court and passed to Bobby Jones, who passed it to Erving. With Maxwell defending and Bird coming to double-team, Erving passed back out to Jones. With the clock ticking away, he drove and missed a floater with 7 seconds left. Carr got the rebound and ran the clock down to 1 second before Erving fouled him. Like Game 5 of the 1976 NBA Finals, the fans and media ran onto the court thinking it was over. Once it was cleared, Carr had to shoot the free throws.


1981 NBA playoffs, Conference Finals, Eastern Conference Finals, (1) Boston Celtics vs. (3) Philadelphia 76ers
He hit the first to make it 111–109, then intentionally missed the next two (the 3-to-make-2 rule). Dawkins got the rebound and called timeout. The crowd huddled around the court with 1 second left and Jones standing in nearly the same spot that Curtis Perry stood before passing the ball to Gar Heard. This time, things turned out better as Parish stole it to keep Boston alive. But the Sixers still led 3–2 and were going back home.


1981 NBA playoffs, Conference Finals, Eastern Conference Finals, (1) Boston Celtics vs. (3) Philadelphia 76ers
In Game 6, Philadelphia was looking to clinch at home, and it looked like they would, as they were up by 17 at one point. But with the season on the line yet again, the Celtics fought back. With the game tied at 87 late in the fourth, Erving was blocked from behind by Bird underneath the basket. On the Celtics' end of the court, Archibald missed a 15-footer, but followed his own miss and went right back up for a layup. Cheeks hit a reverse lay-up to tie it at 89. He fouled out on the next possession.


1981 NBA playoffs, Conference Finals, Eastern Conference Finals, (1) Boston Celtics vs. (3) Philadelphia 76ers
Parish hit both free throws to give Boston a 91–89 lead. After Boston failed to capitalize on a Sixers turnover, Erving tied it at 91 with a layup over Parish. After Bird traveled, Dawkins was fouled and hit both free throws to give the Sixers a 93–91 lead. This was short-lived, as Parish hit a baseline jumper and drew the foul. He completed the 3-point play to give Boston a 94–93 lead with under 3 minutes left.


1981 NBA playoffs, Conference Finals, Eastern Conference Finals, (1) Boston Celtics vs. (3) Philadelphia 76ers
A Dawkins dunk and two Archibald free throws further swayed the lead. A Hollins miss gave Boston a chance to build the lead, but Parish left after being called for an offensive foul, his sixth. That brought in rookie Kevin McHale to guard Dawkins. The Sixers went right at him, but he played good defense and forced Dawkins to miss. Bird hit an 18-footer to give Boston a 98–95 lead with 1 minute left. Toney answered by hitting a 20-footer with 54 seconds and stealing the ball from Bird with 29 seconds left and the Sixers down 1.


1981 NBA playoffs, Conference Finals, Eastern Conference Finals, (1) Boston Celtics vs. (3) Philadelphia 76ers
He went for the lead, but McHale blocked it and got the ball with 14 seconds left. He passed the ball ahead to Archibald and Boston played keep away. The Sixers didn't foul until 2 seconds left. Maxwell made both foul shots to give Boston a 100–97 lead. After a timeout, the Sixers inbounded at midcourt.


1981 NBA playoffs, Conference Finals, Eastern Conference Finals, (1) Boston Celtics vs. (3) Philadelphia 76ers
The first attempt was deflected out-of-bounds by Bird, but 2 seconds still showed on the clock. However, it moved the position of the inbounds pass upcourt, making Billy Cunningham decide to take their final timeout to draw up a play from the new position. McHale's defense prevented Jones from inbounding to Toney in the corner, but he found Dr. J at the top of the key, who was immediately fouled by Archibald to prevent him from handling the ball cleanly to even try to shoot a 3. So with 1 second left, Erving had two foul shots while down 3. The Sixers still had a chance if he made the first and missed the second. He missed the first. Erving hit the second to make it 100–98. After a timeout, the Celtics inbounded from midcourt and tied the series at 3 heading back home for Game 7.


1981 NBA playoffs, Conference Finals, Eastern Conference Finals, (1) Boston Celtics vs. (3) Philadelphia 76ers
Like the last three games, Game 7 came down to the wire. It finally looked like the 76ers' night as they led by 7 with 4:34 left. Maxwell and Archibald brought Boston within 4 from the line. A Parish steal and a turn-around jumper cut it to 2. Parish blocked Dawkins' lay-up, which led to a fast-break, but Maxwell lost his balance and traveled. "Tiny" Archibald got a steal leading to a Bird dunk attempt that missed, but was fouled by Erving; his fifth. Bird missed the first, but made the next two to tie it at 89 with 2:51 left.


1981 NBA playoffs, Conference Finals, Eastern Conference Finals, (1) Boston Celtics vs. (3) Philadelphia 76ers
The 76ers' next trip downcourt was a wild one. Dr. J almost traveled, a pass got deflected out of bounds, Caldwell Jones got the offensive rebound off a Dr. J miss, and a Bird block on Erving, led to a scramble for the ball that saw bodies fly all over the court. It eventually rolled to Hollins, who got it off before the shot clock expired, but missed. A battle for the rebound almost saw Bird tip it out-of-bounds, but as the ball bounced precariously near the baseline, he grabbed it and got it to "Tiny" to give Boston a chance to take the lead.


1981 NBA playoffs, Conference Finals, Eastern Conference Finals, (1) Boston Celtics vs. (3) Philadelphia 76ers
On Boston's possession, Parish threw up an airball that went out-of-bounds off Hollins, giving the Celtics a second chance. However, "Tiny" missed a long-range 2, and the rebound bounced off Boston. The Sixers then put the ball in the hands of Erving and Dawkins as they traded the ball back and forth to wear down the Celtics defense. Parish, Maxwell, and Bird played tough defense, and forced a Dawkins miss that Bird rebounded. He led the fast-break himself and hit a mid-range bank shot to give Boston a 91–89 lead with 1:03 left.


1981 NBA playoffs, Conference Finals, Eastern Conference Finals, (1) Boston Celtics vs. (3) Philadelphia 76ers
With the 76ers looking to tie or go ahead, Erving's pass was stolen by Carr with 47 seconds left. But Boston was without Archibald, who got injured a couple plays back. Henderson had the ball poked away by Hollins to Cheeks, who kept it on the fast-break. He drove to the basket and got fouled hard on a missed lay-up. He took a few moments to get up. He gutted it out though, and went to the line with a chance to tie it with 29 seconds left. He split the pair to make it 91–90.


1981 NBA playoffs, Conference Finals, Eastern Conference Finals, (1) Boston Celtics vs. (3) Philadelphia 76ers
The 76ers chose not to foul and played tough defense. Boston used up the entire shot-clock before Carr finally took a shot with 7 seconds. He missed, but Parish momentarily had a series-ending offensive rebound, but lost it. Bobby Jones finally got the rebound and called time with 1 second left. So with a chance to win, he had to inbound the ball with fans, security, and media huddled around the court. With Bird defending, Jones lobbed a pass towards the basket, but it hit the top of the backboard.


1981 NBA playoffs, Conference Finals, Eastern Conference Finals, (1) Boston Celtics vs. (3) Philadelphia 76ers
Cedric Maxwell tipped it to end the series as the Garden crowd stormed the court. Boston became the fourth team in NBA history to overcome a 3–1 series deficit, and the third team to do so in the Conference Finals. This would happen again in 2016 between the Golden State Warriors and Oklahoma City Thunder.


1981 NBA playoffs, Conference Finals, Western Conference Finals, (5) Kansas City Kings vs. (6) Houston Rockets
This was the first playoff meeting between the Rockets and the Kings.


1981 NBA playoffs, NBA Finals: (E1) Boston Celtics vs. (W6) Houston Rockets
This was the third playoff meeting between these two teams, with the Celtics winning the first two meetings.


1981 NBL Finals
The 1981 NBL Finals was the postseason tournament of the National Basketball League's 1981 season, which began in February. The finals began on 27 June. The tournament concluded with the Launceston Casino City defeating the Nunawading Spectres in the NBL Grand Final on 28 June.


1981 NBL Finals, Format
The NBL finals series in 1981 consisted of two semi-final games, and one championship-deciding grand final. The finals were contested between the top four teams of the regular season, with the finals weekend hosted at the neutral Apollo Entertainment Centre in Adelaide.


1981 NBL Finals, Qualification, Ladder
The NBL tie-breaker system as outlined in the NBL Rules and Regulations states that in the case of an identical win-loss record, the results in games played between the teams will determine order of seeding.


1981 NBL Finals, Qualification, Ladder
1St. Kilda Saints chose to participate in the 1981 FIBA Club World Cup in Brazil, instead of the 1981 NBL Finals. They were replaced by the Brisbane Bullets.


1981 NBL Finals, Qualification, Ladder
24-way Head-to-Head between West Adelaide Bearcats (5-1), Nunawading Spectres (3-3), Brisbane Bullets (2-4) and Newcastle Falcons (2-4).


1981 NBL Finals, Qualification, Ladder
3Head-to-Head between Brisbane Bullets and Newcastle Falcons (1-1). Brisbane Bullets won For and Against (+15).


1981 NBL Finals, Qualification, Ladder
4Head-to-Head between Coburg Giants and Bankstown Bruins (1-1). Coburg Giants won For and Against (+24).


1981 NBL season
The 1981 NBL season was the third season of the National Basketball League (NBL).


1981 NBL season, Regular season
The Regular Season took place over 18 Rounds between 14 February 1981 and 21 June 1981. Each team played 22 games, against every opponent twice.


1981 NBL season, Ladder
The NBL tie-breaker system as outlined in the NBL Rules and Regulations states that in the case of an identical win-loss record, the results in games played between the teams will determine order of seeding.


1981 NBL season, Ladder
1St. Kilda Saints chose to participate in the 1981 FIBA Club World Cup in Brazil, instead of the 1981 NBL Finals. They were replaced by the Brisbane Bullets.


1981 NBL season, Ladder
24-way Head-to-Head between West Adelaide Bearcats (5-1), Nunawading Spectres (3-3), Brisbane Bullets (2-4) and Newcastle Falcons (2-4).


1981 NBL season, Ladder
3Head-to-Head between Brisbane Bullets and Newcastle Falcons (1-1). Brisbane Bullets won For and Against (+15).


1981 NBL season, Ladder
4Head-to-Head between Coburg Giants and Bankstown Bruins (1-1). Coburg Giants won For and Against (+24).


1981 NBL season, Finals
The NBL finals series in 1981 consisted of two semi-final games, and one championship-deciding grand final. All three of these finals games were sudden death.


1981 NC State Wolfpack football team
The 1981 NC State Wolfpack football team represented North Carolina State University during the 1981 NCAA Division I-A football season. The team's head coach was Monte Kiffin. NC State has been a member of the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) since the league's inception in 1953. The Wolfpack played its home games in 1981 at Carter–Finley Stadium in Raleigh, North Carolina, which has been NC State football's home stadium since 1966.


1981 NCAA Division I Baseball Tournament
The 1981 NCAA Division I Baseball Tournament was played at the end of the 1981 NCAA Division I baseball season to determine the national champion of college baseball. The tournament concluded with eight teams competing in the College World Series, a double-elimination tournament in its thirty fifth year. Eight regional competitions were held to determine the participants in the final event. Seven regions held a four team, double-elimination tournament while one region included six teams, resulting in 34 teams participating in the tournament at the conclusion of their regular season, and in some cases, after a conference tournament. The thirty-fifth tournament's champion was Arizona State coached by Jim Brock. The Most Outstanding Player was Stan Holmes of Arizona State.


1981 NCAA Division I Baseball Tournament, Regionals
The opening rounds of the tournament were played across eight regional sites across the country, seven consisting of four teams and one of six teams. The winners of each Regional advanced to the College World Series.


1981 NCAA Division I Basketball Championship Game
The 1981 NCAA Division I Basketball Championship Game took place on March 30, 1981 between the North Carolina Tar Heels and Indiana Hoosiers at The Spectrum in Philadelphia. The matchup was the final one of the forty-third consecutive NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Championship single-elimination tournament — commonly referred to as the NCAA Tournament — organized by the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) and is used to crown a national champion for men's basketball at the Division I level.


1981 NCAA Division I Basketball Championship Game
Because of the assassination attempt on President Ronald Reagan by John Hinckley, there was talk of postponing or cancelling the title game; but once NCAA officials learned that Reagan had made it through surgery and would survive his injuries, the game was played as scheduled. Howard Cosell criticized the NCAA for not postponing the game due to the Reagan assassination attempt.


1981 NCAA Division I Basketball Championship Game
The 1980–81 season was the last before the NCAA began sponsoring a championship for Division I women's basketball. All future NCAA men's tournaments and championship games would include "Men's" in their official titles.


1981 NCAA Division I Basketball Tournament
The 1981 NCAA Division I Basketball Tournament involved 48 schools playing in single-elimination play to determine the national champion of men's  NCAA Division I college basketball. It began on March 12, 1981, and ended with the championship game on March 30 in Philadelphia. A total of 48 games were played, including a national third place game (the last in the NCAA Tournament). It was also the last tournament to be televised on NBC, before CBS took over the following year. Additionally, it was the last season in which the NCAA sponsored championships only in men's sports; the first Division I Women's Tournament would be played the following year.


1981 NCAA Division I Basketball Tournament
Indiana, coached by Bob Knight, won the national title with a 63–50 victory over North Carolina, coached by Dean Smith. Isiah Thomas of Indiana was named the Tournament's Most Outstanding Player.


1981 NCAA Division I Basketball Tournament, The March 14 upsets
The date of Saturday, March 14, 1981, resulted in three major second round tournament upsets which were decided by last-second baskets.


1981 NCAA Division I Basketball Tournament, The March 14 upsets
St. Joseph's trailed No. 1 seed DePaul by seven at about the midway point of the second half, in an early afternoon Mideast Region game from Dayton, Ohio. However, with 48 seconds left, the Hawks had rallied to within 48–47. Blue Demons guard Skip Dillard was fouled with 13 seconds left. Dillard was known as 'Money' for his superb free throw shooting, but he missed the front end of a one-and-one opportunity, and St. Joseph's got the rebound, then quickly passed the ball to the front court without calling a timeout.


1981 NCAA Division I Basketball Tournament, The March 14 upsets
Guard Bryan Warrick got the ball to freshman Lonnie McFarlan who was wide open in the right corner. McFarlan began to shoot until forward John Smith yelled "Please!" to him. McFarlan passed to Smith, who was open underneath the basket. Smith's layup with two seconds left enabled the Hawks of coach Jim Lynam to stun the Blue Demons of Ray Meyer, 49–48.


1981 NCAA Division I Basketball Tournament, The March 14 upsets
Later in the afternoon in Austin, Texas, Arkansas coach Eddie Sutton called timeout with 5 seconds left after falling behind Louisville in the Midwest Region, 73–72 on a jumper by guard Derek Smith. Sutton told his team to get the ball to U.S. Reed. The Razorbacks' guard dribbled to near half court, then launched a 49-foot shot that beat the buzzer and swished through the net, as Arkansas dethroned the defending national champion Cardinals of Denny Crum, 74–73. Sutton told the media, "Champions die hard."


1981 NCAA Division I Basketball Tournament, The March 14 upsets
Only moments after the Razorbacks' upset, the season ended for another #1 seed in the West Region in Los Angeles. Oregon State led Kansas State by as much as 11 points in the second half. Coach Ralph Miller and center Steve Johnson had led the Beavers to a two-year record of 52–4. Then Rolando Blackman led the Wildcats back with a 16-6 run to tie the game, 48–48 with 3:23 left. Johnson then fouled out, and both teams stalled with the ball until Oregon State missed the front end of a one-and-one from the foul line. K-State then held for the last shot. With two seconds left, Blackman, double-teamed, drilled a fall-away 17 footer from the right baseline for a 50–48 upset by the Wildcats of Jack Hartman.


1981 NCAA Division I Basketball Tournament, The March 14 upsets
In another second round Mideast Region upset, UAB defeated Kentucky 69–62. A semifinal in the East Region saw Danny Ainge dribble the length of the court and drive all the way in for a layup and another buzzer-beating winner, lifting BYU over Notre Dame 51–50.


1981 NCAA Division I Basketball Tournament, The March 14 upsets
Greg Johnson of NCAA.com, in a March 9, 2011 article, indicated that March 14, 1981 was a date which defined March Madness.


1981 NCAA Division I Basketball Tournament, Schedule and venues
The following are the sites that were selected to host each round of the 1981 tournament:


1981 NCAA Division I Basketball Tournament, Schedule and venues
The Spectrum in Philadelphia hosted its second Final Four, both of which were won by Indiana. New Orleans hosted its second regional, the first at the Superdome and first in the city since 1942. This tournament would be the last until 2021 for Indiana's Assembly Hall to be host to tournament games. This also marked only the second year ever to feature a domed stadium, and an NFL stadium; only four times since (1983, 1985, 1994, and 2018) has the tournament not included any NFL stadiums, and only in 1985 did it not include any domes at all. Two cities, Austin and El Paso, hosted Tournament games for the first time; it would be the only time El Paso would host tournament games and Austin would once again be host in 1990.


1981 NCAA Division I Basketball Tournament, Bracket, Final Four
NOTES: 1. This was the last tournament that a third place game was staged prior to the national championship.


1981 NCAA Division I Cross Country Championships
The 1981 NCAA Division I Cross Country Championships were the 43rd annual NCAA Men's Division I Cross Country Championship and the 1st annual NCAA Women's Division I Cross Country Championship to determine the team and individual national champions of NCAA Division I men's and women's collegiate cross country running in the United States. For the first time, a women's national championship was held alongside the men's meet. In all, four different titles were contested: men's and women's individual and team championships.


1981 NCAA Division I Cross Country Championships
Held on November 23, 1981, the combined meet was hosted for the second consecutive year by Wichita State University at the Echo Hills Golf Course in Park City, Kansas. The distance for the men's race was 10 kilometers (6.21 miles) while the distance for the women's race was 5 kilometers (3.11 miles).


1981 NCAA Division I Cross Country Championships
The men's team national championship was retained again by the UTEP Miners, their seventh, and fourth consecutive, overall title. The individual championship was won by South African runner Matthews Motshwarateu, also from UTEP, with a time of 28:45.80. By placing all of their top 5 in the top 8 finishers, UTEP's score remains the best team score in event history.


1981 NCAA Division I Cross Country Championships
The UTEP team, composed of African recruits, was a dominant group of talent, but coach Ted Banks, who had assembled the team was criticized for his recruiting practices and scholarship promises. Within a year, he had resigned his position as coach.


1981 NCAA Division I Cross Country Championships
The inaugural women's team national championship was won by the Virginia Cavaliers, their first. The individual championship was won by Betty Springs, from NC State, with a time of 16:19.00. Given that this was the first edition of this race, Springs' time set the event's distance record.


1981 NCAA Division I Field Hockey Championship
The 1981 NCAA Division I Field Hockey Championship was the first annual tournament to determine the national champion of NCAA Division I collegiate field hockey in the United States. The Connecticut Huskies won the first championship, defeating the Massachusetts Minutewomen in the final.


1981 NCAA Division I Golf Championship
The 1981 NCAA Division I Golf Championship was the 43rd annual NCAA-sanctioned golf tournament to determine the individual and team national champions of men's collegiate golf at the University Division level in the United States.


1981 NCAA Division I Golf Championship
The tournament was held at the Stanford Golf Course in Stanford, California, hosted by Stanford University.


1981 NCAA Division I Golf Championship
BYU won the team championship, the Cougars' first NCAA title.


1981 NCAA Division I Men's Ice Hockey Tournament
The 1981 NCAA Men's Division I Ice Hockey Tournament was the culmination of the 1980–81 NCAA Division I men's ice hockey season, the 34th such tournament in NCAA history. It was held between March 19 and 27, 1981, and concluded with Wisconsin defeating Minnesota 6-3. All Quarterfinals matchups were held at home team venues while all succeeding games were played at the Duluth Arena in Duluth, Minnesota.


1981 NCAA Division I Men's Ice Hockey Tournament
1981 was the first year that the tournament guaranteed 8 teams to be selected for the championship as opposed the policy put in place in 1977 that gave the selection committee the ability to choose up to 4 additional teams at its discretion (two was the maximum the committee ever choose).


1981 NCAA Division I Men's Ice Hockey Tournament, Qualifying teams
The NCAA permitted 8 teams to qualify for the tournament, four from each region (East and West). From the east the ECAC tournament champion and the regular season champions from the two ECAC divisions that did not contain the ECAC champion received automatic bids into the tournament with a fourth at-large bid going to one eastern team. From the west the two WCHA tournament co-champions and the CCHA tournament champion received automatic bids with a fourth at-large bid going to one western team.


1981 NCAA Division I Men's Ice Hockey Tournament, Format
The tournament featured three rounds of play. The two odd-number ranked teams from one region were placed into a bracket with the two even-number ranked teams of the other region. The teams were then seeded according to their ranking. In the Quarterfinals the first and fourth seeds and the second and third seeds played two-game aggregate series to determine which school advanced to the Semifinals. Beginning with the Semifinals all games were played at the Duluth Arena and all series became Single-game eliminations. The winning teams in the semifinals advanced to the National Championship Game with the losers playing in a Third Place game.


1981 NCAA Division I Men's Lacrosse Championship
The 1981 Division I NCAA Men's Lacrosse Championship game was played at Princeton University in front of 13,943 fans. North Carolina capped off a 12 and 0 season with its first-ever NCAA championship, as they defeated previously unbeaten Johns Hopkins, 14 to 13.


1981 NCAA Division I Men's Lacrosse Championship, Tournament overview
North Carolina scored five goals in the fourth quarter to defeat Johns Hopkins in a come-from-behind victory, coming back from a three goal deficit. This win by the Tar Heels snapped a three-year winning streak by Johns Hopkins in NCAA finals. Hopkins had finished first or second in eight of the 11 NCAA championships and had been on a 22-game unbeaten streak. This title was North Carolina’s first in lacrosse.


1981 NCAA Division I Men's Lacrosse Championship, Tournament overview
The Tar Heels were led by coach , former Johns Hopkins' top assistant coach. North Carolina had been ranked number two in the USILA poll behind three-time defending national champion Johns Hopkins entering the tournament. Scroggs who played midfield at Hopkins, turned the Tar Heels into national champions after only three seasons as coach.


1981 NCAA Division I Men's Lacrosse Championship, Tournament overview
Annapolis native Michael Burnett was selected USILA first team All-America. The University of North Carolina's leading scorer, Burnett a sophomore, was among the first of a group of high profile Maryland players recruited by Willie Scroggs to North Carolina as the school quickly built its program into a national power. Over the next decade, North Carolina would be among the top lacrosse programs, with four national titles and nine Final Four appearances.


1981 NCAA Division I Men's Lacrosse Championship, Tournament overview
For Hopkins, the prior four-year period included 53 wins against three losses, to go with three national championships. During this stretch, the Blue Jays won a record 11 straight NCAA tournament games, a record later tied by Syracuse. National Player of the Year Jeff Cook scored six goals for Hopkins.


1981 NCAA Division I Men's Lacrosse Championship, Tournament outstanding players
LEADING SCORERSName ........... GP G A Pts. Pete Voelkel, North Carolina........... 3 3 5 8Kevin Griswold, North Carolina ........ 3 5 2 7Randy Natoli, Virginia........... 2 6 1 7


1981 NCAA Division I Outdoor Track and Field Championships
The 1981 NCAA Men's Division I Outdoor Track and Field Championships were contested June 2−6 at the 59th annual NCAA-sanctioned track meet to determine the individual and team national champions of men's collegiate Division I outdoor track and field events in the United States.


1981 NCAA Division I Outdoor Track and Field Championships
This was the final meet before the introduction of women's events at the 1982 championship


1981 NCAA Division I Outdoor Track and Field Championships
This year's meet was contested at Bernie Moore Track Stadium at Louisiana State University in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. This was the Tigers' second time hosting the event and the first since 1973.


1981 NCAA Division I Outdoor Track and Field Championships
UTEP finished atop the team standings for the fourth consecutive year and, therefore, claimed their fifth national title.


1981 NCAA Division I Soccer Tournament
The 1981 NCAA Division I Men's Soccer Tournament was the 23rd organized men's college soccer tournament by the National Collegiate Athletic Association, to determine the top college soccer team in the United States. The Connecticut Huskies won their first national title by defeating the Alabama A&M Bulldogs in the championship game, 2–1, after one overtime period. The final match was played on December 6, 1981, in Palo Alto, California, at Stanford Stadium.


1981 NCAA Division I Swimming and Diving Championships
The 1981 NCAA Men's Division I Swimming and Diving Championships were contested in March 1981 at the Texas Swimming Center at the University of Texas at Austin in Austin, Texas at the 58th annual NCAA-sanctioned swim meet to determine the team and individual national champions of Division I men's collegiate swimming and diving in the United States.


1981 NCAA Division I Swimming and Diving Championships
Hosts Texas topped the team standings for the first time, the Longhorns' inaugural national title.


1981 NCAA Division I Swimming and Diving Championships
This was the final year before the inaugural NCAA Women's Division I Swimming and Diving Championships, although the men's and women's titles would not be held at the same site until 2006.


1981 NCAA Division I Tennis Championships
The 1981 NCAA Division I Tennis Championships were the 36th annual tournaments to determine the national champions of NCAA men's college tennis. Matches were played during May 1981 at the Dan Magill Tennis Complex in Athens, Georgia on the campus of the University of Georgia. A total of three championships were contested: men's team, singles, and doubles. A women's tournament would be introduced in 1982.


1981 NCAA Division I Tennis Championships
The men's team championship was retained by the Stanford Cardinal, their sixth team national title. Stanford defeated UCLA in the final round, 5–1. The men's singles title was won by Tim Mayotte from Stanford, and the men's doubles title was won by David Pate and Karl Richter from Texas Christian University.


1981 NCAA Division I Women's Volleyball Tournament
This is the current revision of this page, as edited by Elefish92 (talk | contribs) at 00:00, 8 April 2020 (→West regional:  per NCAA New Mexico beats Miami (OH) 3-1). The present address (URL) is a permanent link to this version.


1981 NCAA Division I Women's Volleyball Tournament
The 1981 NCAA Division I Women's Volleyball Tournament was the first year that the NCAA sponsored women's volleyball, following 12 years in which the AIAW conducted the women's national intercollegiate championships. The tournament consisted of just 20 teams.


1981 NCAA Division I Women's Volleyball Tournament
The Final Four was held on the campus of UCLA, where the heavily favored Bruins lost in the national title match against Southern California in five games: 9-15, 15-7, 10-15, 15-13, 15-7. Southern California finished the year 27-10.


1981 NCAA Division I Women's Volleyball Tournament
In the consolation match, San Diego State swept Pacific, 3-0,  to claim third place.


1981 NCAA Division I Women's Volleyball Tournament, NCAA Tournament record
There is one NCAA tournament record that was set during the 1981 tournament that still stands today.


1981 NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships
The 1981 NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships were the 51st NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships to be held. Princeton University in Princeton, New Jersey hosted the tournament at Jadwin Gymnasium.


1981 NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships
Iowa took home the team championship with 129.75 points and having two individual champions.


1981 NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships
Gene Mills of Syracuse was named the Most Outstanding Wrestler and Jerry Kelly of Oklahoma State received the Gorriaran Award.


1981 NCAA Division I baseball rankings
The following polls make up the 1981 NCAA Division I baseball rankings. Baseball America began publishing its poll of the top 20 teams in college baseball in 1981. Collegiate Baseball Newspaper published its first human poll of the top 20 teams in college baseball in 1957, and expanded to rank the top 30 teams in 1961. This was the first season with two major polls.


1981 NCAA Division I baseball rankings, Baseball America
Currently, only the final poll from the 1981 season is available.


1981 NCAA Division I baseball rankings, Collegiate Baseball
Currently, only the final poll from the 1981 season is available.


1981 NCAA Division I baseball season
The 1981 NCAA Division I baseball season, play of college baseball in the United States organized by the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) began in the spring of 1981. The season progressed through the regular season and concluded with the 1981 College World Series. The College World Series, held for the thirty fifth time in 1981, consisted of one team from each of eight regional competitions and was held in Omaha, Nebraska at Johnny Rosenblatt Stadium as a double-elimination tournament. Arizona State claimed the championship for the fifth time.


1981 NCAA Division I baseball season, Conference winners
This is a partial list of conference champions from the 1981 season. The NCAA sponsored regional competitions to determine the College World Series participants. Seven regionals of four teams and one of six each competed in double-elimination tournaments, with the winners advancing to Omaha. 21 teams earned automatic bids by winning their conference championship while 13 teams earned at-large selections.


1981 NCAA Division I baseball season, College World Series
The 1981 season marked the thirty fifth NCAA Baseball Tournament, which culminated with the eight team College World Series. The College World Series was held in Omaha, Nebraska. The eight teams played a double-elimination format, with Arizona State claiming their fifth championship with a 7–4 win over Oklahoma State in the final.


1981 NCAA Division I-A football rankings
Two human polls comprised the 1981 National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division I-A football rankings. Unlike most sports, college football's governing body, the NCAA, does not bestow a national championship, instead that title is bestowed by one or more different polling agencies. There are two main weekly polls that begin in the preseason—the AP Poll and the Coaches' Poll.


1981 NCAA Division I-A football rankings, Coaches' Poll
Arizona State, SMU, and Miami (FL) (after a November 3, 1981 ruling) were on probation by the NCAA during the 1981 season; they were therefore ineligible to receive votes in the Coaches' Poll.


1981 NCAA Division I-A football season
The 1981 NCAA Division I-A football season ended with the Clemson Tigers, unbeaten and untied, claiming the national championship after a victory over Nebraska in the Orange Bowl. This was also the first year of the California Bowl, played in Fresno, California; this game fancied itself as a "junior" version of the Rose Bowl as it pitted the Big West Conference champion vs. the Mid-American Conference champion.


1981 NCAA Division I-A football season, September
The pre season top 5 was 1. Michigan, 2. Oklahoma, 3. Notre Dame, 4. Alabama, and 5. USC. On September 5, Alabama beat LSU 24–7 and moved up to No. 2 in the new poll that was 1. Michigan, 2. Alabama, 3, Oklahoma, 4. Notre Dame, and 5. USC. Clemson was not ranked.


1981 NCAA Division I-A football season, September
On September 12, No. 1 Michigan opened its season in Madison and lost to Wisconsin, 21–14. No. 2 Alabama lost in Birmingham to Georgia Tech, 24–21. By beating LSU 27–9, Notre Dame leapfrogged Oklahoma, who beat Wyoming 37–20, into the No. 1 spot. No. 4 USC beat Tennessee 43–7 so they also vaulted over Oklahoma to No. 2. Georgia at No. 4 and Penn State at No. 5 replace Michigan and Alabama in the top 5.


1981 NCAA Division I-A football season, September
On September 19, No. 1 Notre Dame lost at No. 11 Michigan 25–7. No. 4 Georgia lost at unranked Clemson, 13–3. Thus, USC moved up to No. 1, Oklahoma No. 2, Penn State No. 3, Texas joined the top five at No. 4, and Pittsburgh moved up to No. 5.


1981 NCAA Division I-A football season, September
On September 26 in a 1 vs. 2 showdown in Los Angeles, USC scored in the final seconds to nip Oklahoma, 28–24. Thus, Oklahoma slipped to No. 5 while Penn State, Texas and Pittsburgh were number 2, 3, and 4.


1981 NCAA Division I-A football season, October
On October 3, Oklahoma, still stung by its last second loss to USC, was shocked at home in a 7–7 tie with Iowa State. North Carolina moved up to replace Oklahoma at No. 5 in the next poll.


1981 NCAA Division I-A football season, October
On October 10, No. 1 USC was upset by Arizona, 13–10. No. 3 Texas beat No. 10 Oklahoma 34–14 and jumped over Penn State into the No. 1 spot. Michigan returned to the top 5 in the new poll that was: 1. Texas, 2. Penn State, 3. Pittsburgh, 4. North Carolina, and 5. Michigan.


1981 NCAA Division I-A football season, October
On October 17, No. 1 Texas was steamrolled by Arkansas 42–11. No. 5 Michigan lost at Iowa 9–7 in the game that ultimately decided the Big 10's Rose Bowl berth. Clemson and USC replaced Texas and Michigan in the new top 5 that was: 1. Penn State, 2. Pittsburgh, 3. North Carolina, 4. Clemson, and 5. USC.


1981 NCAA Division I-A football season, October
The big game on October 24 was between ACC rivals No. 3 North Carolina and No. 4 Clemson in Chapel Hill. Clemson won 10–8 to move up to No. 3, and Georgia replaced North Carolina in the top 5.


1981 NCAA Division I-A football season, October
On October 31, No. 1 Penn State was upset by unranked Miami (FL) 17–14 and fell to No. 6. Texas re-emerged in the top 5 that was: 1. Pittsburgh, 2. Clemson, 3. USC, 4. Georgia, and 5. Texas.


1981 NCAA Division I-A football season, November
On November 7, No. 5 Texas was tied by Houston 14–14 and was replaced by Penn State at No. 5. The rest of the top 5 was unchanged.


1981 NCAA Division I-A football season, November
On November 14, No. 3 USC lost to Washington, 13–3 and No. 5 Penn State was knocked off by Alabama, 31–16. The new poll was 1. Pittsburgh, 2. Clemson, 3. Georgia, 4. Alabama, and 5. Nebraska.


1981 NCAA Division I-A football season, November
On November 21, USC blocked a last second field goal attempt to beat UCLA 22–21 and knock the Bruins out of the Rose Bowl and put Washington in.


1981 NCAA Division I-A football season, November
The poll would remain unchanged until games of November 28, when Penn State beat No. 1 Pitt 48–14. Also on that day, Alabama coach Bear Bryant won his 315th game when the Crimson Tide defeated archrival Auburn 28–17 at Legion Field in Birmingham, setting a new NCAA Division I record for coaching victories. The record was previously held by Amos Alonzo Stagg.


1981 NCAA Division I-A football season, November
The final regular season poll was 1. Clemson, 2. Georgia, 3. Alabama, 4. Nebraska, and 5. SMU.


1981 NCAA Division I-A football season, Important game
Clemson's match-up with North Carolina proved to be the landmark game of the season and a huge turning point for the ACC. This game which Clemson won 10–8 marked the first time two ACC teams met while ranked in the top 10. ABC broadcast this game live nationally, a huge bit of exposure for what was usually known as a basketball conference. The game ended with Jeff Bryant recovering a lateral with a minute left.


1981 NCAA Division I-A football season, Bowl games, Orange Bowl
Clemson's Orange Bowl opponent Nebraska featured future NFL stars Roger Craig, Irving Fryar, Mike Rozier, and Dave Rimington while finishing second nationally in rushing with 330 yards per game. But Clemson was able to take advantage of an injury to Husker quarterback Turner Gill. Eight out of twelve Nebraska possessions ended in a three and out, they crossed the fifty only four times and ended up with just two scoring opportunities.


1981 NCAA Division I-A football season, Bowl games, Orange Bowl
Entering the game, the top four teams in order were Clemson, Georgia, Alabama, and Nebraska. After Georgia and Alabama had lost in Sugar and Cotton Bowls respectively, the Orange Bowl was for the national championship. The final score was 22–15, in favor of Clemson.


1981 NCAA Division I-A football season, Bowl games, Orange Bowl
Pittsburgh, which was the consensus number one until being beaten soundly by Penn State in their season finale, beat defending national champion Georgia in the Sugar Bowl. Also in the national title hunt till the very end, Alabama lost to number six Texas in the Cotton Bowl Classic.


1981 NCAA Division I-A football season, Bowl games, Orange Bowl
Kenneth Sims of Texas was the first pick overall in the 1982 NFL Draft and was the winner of the Lombardi Award, given to the nation's best lineman.


1981 NCAA Division I-A football season, Bowl games, Orange Bowl
Southern Methodist won the Southwest Conference and was ranked fifth, but was ineligible for post-season play due to NCAA probation, but could have still qualified for the national title.


1981 NCAA Division I-AA Football Championship Game
The 1981 NCAA Division I-AA Football Championship Game was a postseason college football game between the Eastern Kentucky Colonels and the Idaho State Bengals. The game was played on December 19, 1981, at Memorial Stadium in Wichita Falls, Texas. The culminating game of the 1981 NCAA Division I-AA football season, it was won by Idaho State, 34–23.


1981 NCAA Division I-AA Football Championship Game
The game was also known as the Pioneer Bowl, a name that had been used starting in 1971 for various NCAA playoff games held in Wichita Falls. The Colonels were making their third consecutive appearance in the I-AA championship game.


1981 NCAA Division I-AA Football Championship Game, Teams
The participants of the Championship Game were the finalists of the 1981 I-AA Playoffs, which began with an eight-team bracket.


1981 NCAA Division I-AA Football Championship Game, Teams, Eastern Kentucky Colonels
Eastern Kentucky finished their regular season with a 10–1 record (8–0 in conference); their only loss was to Navy of Division I-A. Ranked first in the final NCAA I-AA in-house poll and seeded first in the tournament, the Colonels defeated seventh-seed Delaware and fourth-seed Boise State to reach the final. This was the third appearance for Eastern Kentucky in a Division I-AA championship game, having won in 1979 and having lost in 1980.


1981 NCAA Division I-AA Football Championship Game, Teams, Idaho State Bengals
Idaho State finished their regular season with a 9–1 record (6–1 in conference); their only loss was an away game at Montana. Ranked second in the final NCAA I-AA in-house poll and seeded second in the tournament, the Bengals defeated eighth-seed Rhode Island and third-seed South Carolina State to reach the final. This was the first appearance for Idaho State in a Division I-AA championship game.


1981 NCAA Division I-AA football rankings
The 1981 NCAA Division I-AA football rankings are from the NCAA Division I-AA football committee. This is for the 1981 season.


1981 NCAA Division I-AA football season
The 1981 NCAA Division I-AA football season, part of college football in the United States organized by the National Collegiate Athletic Association at the Division I-AA level, began in August 1981 and concluded with the 1981 NCAA Division I-AA Football Championship Game on December 19, 1981, at Memorial Stadium in Wichita Falls, Texas. The Idaho State Bengals won their first I-AA championship, defeating the Eastern Kentucky Colonels in the Pioneer Bowl, 34−23.


1981 NCAA Division I-AA football season, Conference champions
Big Sky Conference – Idaho StateMid-Eastern Athletic Conference – South Carolina StateOhio Valley Conference – Eastern KentuckySouthwestern Athletic Conference – Jackson StateYankee Conference – Massachusetts and Rhode Island


1981 NCAA Division I-AA football season, Postseason
After holding four-team playoffs after the first three I-AA seasons, the NCAA increased the bracket size to eight this postseason. It grew to twelve in 1982 and sixteen in 1986. The eight-team field was determined via automatic bids to five conference champions (Idaho State, South Carolina State, Eastern Kentucky, Jackson State, and Rhode Island), a bid to the top-ranked independent team (Tennessee State), and two at-large bids (Boise State and Delaware).


1981 NCAA Division I-AA football season, Postseason, NCAA Division I-AA playoff bracket
* Next to team name denotes host institution* Next to score denotes overtimeSource:


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.


1981 NCAA Division II Field Hockey Championship
The 1981 NCAA Division II Field Hockey Championship was the first annual NCAA-sponsored tournament to determine the top Division II women's college field hockey team in the United States.


1981 NCAA Division II Field Hockey Championship
The semifinals and championship of the inaugural event were played at Pfeiffer College in Misenheimer, North Carolina.


1981 NCAA Division II Lacrosse Championship
The 1981 NCAA Division II Lacrosse Championship was the eighth annual single-elimination tournament to determine the national champions of NCAA Division II men's college lacrosse in the United States.


1981 NCAA Division II Lacrosse Championship
This would be the final edition of the Division II men's tournament until 1993.


1981 NCAA Division II Lacrosse Championship
The final, and only match of the tournament, was played at Motamed Field at Adelphi University in Garden City, New York.


1981 NCAA Division II Lacrosse Championship
Hosts Adelphi defeated Loyola (MD), 17–14, to win their second national title. The Panthers (10–2) were coached by Paul Doherty. This was Adelphi's second title in three seasons.


1981 NCAA Division II Men's Ice Hockey Tournament
The 1981 NCAA Men's Division II Ice Hockey Tournament involved 4 schools playing in single-elimination play to determine the national champion of men's NCAA Division II college ice hockey. A total of 4 games were played, hosted by Merrimack College.


1981 NCAA Division II Men's Ice Hockey Tournament
The University of Lowell, coached by Bill Riley, won the national title with a 5-4 victory in the final game over Plattsburgh.


1981 NCAA Division II Men's Ice Hockey Tournament
Tom Mulligan, of the University of Lowell, was named the Most Outstanding Player and was the high scorer of the tournament with seven points (3 goals, 4 assists).


1981 NCAA Division II Men's Ice Hockey Tournament, Qualifying teams
Due to the lack of conferences and tournaments for western schools the NCAA held a regional tournament to help select teams for the national tournament. The western regional tournament is not considered as part of the NCAA championship but is included here for reference. No automatic bids were offered.


1981 NCAA Division II Soccer Championship
The 1981 NCAA Division II Soccer Championship was the tenth annual tournament held by the NCAA to determine the top men's Division II college soccer program in the United States. This was the final Division II tournament to feature a third-place match.


1981 NCAA Division II Soccer Championship
Tampa defeated Cal State Los Angeles in the final, 1–0 (after one overtime period), to win their first Division II national title. The Spartans (14-0-3) were coached by Jay Miller.


1981 NCAA Division II Soccer Championship
The semifinals and final were played at the Soccer-Lacrosse Stadium on the campus of Yale University in New Haven, Connecticut.


1981 NCAA Division II Women's Volleyball Championship
The 1981 NCAA Division II Women's Volleyball Championship was the first annual NCAA-sponsored tournament to determine the national champions of Division II women's collegiate volleyball in the United States.


1981 NCAA Division II Women's Volleyball Championship
Sacramento State defeated Lewis (IL) in straight sets, 3–0 (15–10, 15–6, 15–7), in the final to claim their first national title. The Hornets were coached by Debby Colberg.


1981 NCAA Division II football rankings
The 1981 NCAA Division II football rankings are from the NCAA Division II football committee. This is for the 1981 season.


1981 NCAA Division II football season
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.


1981 NCAA Division II football season
Southwest Texas State defeated North Dakota State in the championship game, 42–13, to win their first Division II national title.


1981 NCAA Division II football season, Conference summaries
Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association – Virginia UnionFar Western Football Conference – UC Davis and Cal State–HaywardGreat Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference – Grand Valley StateGulf South Conference – Jacksonville StateLone Star Conference – Southwest Texas StateMissouri Intercollegiate Athletic Association – Northeast Missouri StateNorth Central Conference – North Dakota StateNorthern Intercollegiate Conference – Minnesota State–MoorheadPennsylvania State Athletic Conference – ShippensburgRocky Mountain Athletic Conference – New Mexico HighlandsSouth Atlantic Conference – ElonSouthern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference – Alabama A&M


1981 NCAA Division II football season, Postseason
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.


1981 NCAA Division III Baseball Tournament
The 1981 NCAA Division III Baseball Tournament was played at the end of the 1981 NCAA Division III baseball season to determine the sixth national champion of college baseball at the NCAA Division III level. The tournament concluded with four teams competing at Pioneer Park in Marietta, Ohio for the championship. Four regional tournaments were held to determine the participants in the World Series. Regional tournaments were contested in double-elimination format, with all four regions consisting of six teams, for a total of 24 teams participating in the tournament. The tournament champion was Marietta, who defeated Ithaca for the championship.


1981 NCAA Division III Baseball Tournament, Regionals, South Regional
North Carolina Wesleyan (4-1),Lynchburg (3-2),Ramapo (2-2),Upsala (2-2),William Paterson (1-2),Salisbury State (1-2)


1981 NCAA Division III Baseball Tournament, Regionals, Mideast Regional
Marietta (5-1),Alma (3-2),York (PA) (2-2),Wooster (1-2),Monmouth (IL) (0-2),Ohio Northern (0-2)


1981 NCAA Division III Baseball Tournament, Regionals, Northeast Regional
Ithaca (5-1),Eastern Connecticut State (3-2),unknown (2-2),Westfield State (1-2),Queens (0-2),SUNY Cortland (0-2)


1981 NCAA Division III Basketball Tournament
The 1981 NCAA Division III Men's Basketball Tournament was the seventh annual single-elimination tournament, held during March 1981, to determine the national champions of National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) men's Division III collegiate basketball in the United States.


1981 NCAA Division III Basketball Tournament
The tournament field included 32 teams with the national championship rounds contested at Augustana College in Rock Island, Illinois.


1981 NCAA Division III Basketball Tournament
SUNY Potsdam defeated hosts Augustana (IL), 67–65 (in overtime), in the championship game to claim their first national title.


1981 NCAA Division III Field Hockey Championship
The 1981 NCAA Division III Field Hockey Championship was the first annual NCAA-sponsored tournament to determine the top Division III women's college field hockey team in the United States.


1981 NCAA Division III Field Hockey Championship
The semifinals and championship of the inaugural event were played at Westfield State College in Westfield, Massachusetts.


1981 NCAA Division III Field Hockey Championship
Trenton State (now TCNJ) defeated Franklin & Marshall in the final, 2–0, to win their first national title.


1981 NCAA Division III football season
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.


1981 NCAA Division III football season, 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.


1981 NCAA Indoor Track and Field Championships
The 1981 NCAA Indoor Track and Field Championships were contested March 13−14, 1981 at Cobo Arena in Detroit, Michigan at the 17th annual NCAA-sanctioned track meet to determine the individual and team national champions of men's collegiate indoor track and field events in the United States. This was Cobo Arena's final time hosting the event after hosting all previous seventeen indoor championships.


1981 NCAA Indoor Track and Field Championships
UTEP once again topped the team standings, finishing 25 points ahead of SMU. The Miners claimed their second consecutive and sixth overall indoor team title and their sixth title in eight seasons.


1981 NCAA Indoor Track and Field Championships, Qualification
Unlike other NCAA-sponsored sports, there were not separate NCAA Division I, Division II, and Division III championships for indoor track and field until 1985. As such, all athletes and programs from all three divisions were eligible to compete.


1981 NCAA Men's Basketball All-Americans
The Consensus 1981 NCAA Men's Basketball All-American team, as determined by aggregating the results of four major All-American teams. To earn "consensus" status, a player must win honors from a majority of the following teams: the Associated Press, the USBWA, The United Press International and the National Association of Basketball Coaches.


1981 NCAA Men's Volleyball Tournament
The 1981 NCAA Men's Volleyball Tournament was the 12th annual tournament to determine the national champion of NCAA men's collegiate volleyball. The tournament was played at the UC Santa Barbara Events Center in Santa Barbara, California during May 1981.


1981 NCAA Men's Volleyball Tournament
UCLA defeated USC in the final match, 3–2 (11–15, 15–7, 15–11, 8–15, 15–13), to win their eighth national title. This was a rematch of the previous two years' finals, which were split between UCLA and USC. The Bruins (32–3) were coached by Al Scates.


1981 NCAA Men's Volleyball Tournament
UCLA's Karch Kiraly was named Most Outstanding Player of the tournament. Kiraly, along with six other players, comprised the All-tournament team.


1981 NCAA Men's Volleyball Tournament, Qualification
Until the creation of the NCAA Men's Division III Volleyball Championship in 2012, there was only a single national championship for men's volleyball. As such, all NCAA men's volleyball programs (whether from Division I, Division II, or Division III) were eligible. A total of 4 teams were invited to contest this championship.


1981 NCAA Men's Water Polo Championship
The 1981 NCAA Men's Water Polo Championship was the 13th annual NCAA Men's Water Polo Championship to determine the national champion of NCAA men's college water polo. Tournament matches were played at the Belmont Plaza Pool in Long Beach, California during December 1981.


1981 NCAA Men's Water Polo Championship
Stanford defeated Long Beach State in the final, 17–6, to win their fourth, and second consecutive, national title.


1981 NCAA Men's Water Polo Championship
James Bergeson (Stanford) and Jody Campbell (Stanford) were named the Co-Most Outstanding Players of the tournament. An All-Tournament Team, consisting of seven players, was also named.


1981 NCAA Men's Water Polo Championship
Bergeson was also the tournament's leading scorer, with 12 goals.


1981 NCAA Men's Water Polo Championship, Qualification
Since there has only ever been one single national championship for water polo, all NCAA men's water polo programs (whether from Division I, Division II, or Division III) were eligible. A total of 8 teams were invited to contest this championship.


1981 NCAA Rifle Championships
The 1981 NCAA Rifle Championship was the second annual tournament to determine the national champion of NCAA co-ed collegiate rifle shooting. The championship was held at the U.S. Military Academy in West Point, New York during March 1981.


1981 NCAA Rifle Championships
Tennessee Tech, with a team score of 6,139, retained the national title, their second. West Virginia again finished in second, with 6,136. The Golden Eagles were coached by James Newkirk.


1981 NCAA Rifle Championships
Kurt Fitz-Randolph (Tennessee Tech) claimed the individual titles for smallbore, and John Rost (West Virginia) won the championship for air rifle.


1981 NCAA Rifle Championships, Qualification
Since there is only one national collegiate championship for rifle shooting, all NCAA rifle programs (whether from Division I, Division II, or Division III) were eligible. A total of 10 teams ultimately contested this championship.


1981 NCAA Skiing Championships
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1981 NCAA Skiing Championships
The 1981 NCAA Skiing Championships were contested at the Park City Mountain Resort in Park City, Utah as part of the 28th annual NCAA-sanctioned ski tournament to determine the individual and team national champions of men's collegiate slalom skiing, and cross country skiing in the United States.


1981 NCAA Skiing Championships
Utah, coached by Pat Miller, claimed their first team national championship, finishing 11 points ahead of  defending champions Vermont in the cumulative team standings.


1981 NCAA Skiing Championships, Venue
This year's NCAA skiing championships were held at the Park City Mountain Resort in Park City, Utah.


1981 NCAA Skiing Championships, Venue
These were the third championships held in the state of Utah (1957 and 1963).


1981 NFL Draft
The 1981 NFL draft was the procedure by which National Football League teams selected amateur college football players. It is officially known as the NFL Annual Player Selection Meeting. The draft was held April 28–29, 1981, at the New York Sheraton Hotel in New York City. The league also held a supplemental draft after the regular draft and before the regular season.


1981 NFL Draft
For the first time, the top two picks of the draft were named Offensive and Defensive Rookies of the Year, respectively.


1981 NFL season
The 1981 NFL season was the 62nd regular season of the National Football League. The season ended with Super Bowl XVI when the San Francisco 49ers defeated the Cincinnati Bengals 26–21 at the Pontiac Silverdome in Michigan.


1981 NFL season, Draft
The 1981 NFL Draft was held from April 28 to 29, 1981 at New York City’s Sheraton Hotel. With the first pick, the New Orleans Saints selected running back George Rogers from the University of South Carolina.


1981 NFL season, New referee
Cal Lepore, the line judge for Super Bowl III and referee for the Miracle at the Meadowlands, retired prior to the 1980 season. He would later become supervisor of officials in the United States Football League. Tom Dooley, who was assigned Super Bowl XV as line judge at the end of the 1981 season, was promoted to referee to replace Lepore.


1981 NFL season, Regular season, Scheduling formula
Inter-conferenceAFC East vs NFC EastAFC Central vs NFC WestAFC West vs NFC Central


1981 NFL season, Records, milestones, and notable statistics, Baltimore Colts Defense
The 1981 Baltimore Colts were one of the worst defenses in NFL history; they set five dubious defensive records:


1981 NFL season, Stadium changes
The home of the San Diego Chargers, San Diego Stadium, was renamed Jack Murphy Stadium in memory of local sportswriter Jack Murphy


1981 NHK Trophy
The 1981 NHK Trophy was held in Kobe. Medals were awarded in the disciplines of men's singles, ladies' singles, pair skating, and ice dancing.


1981 NHL Entry Draft
The 1981 NHL Entry Draft was the 19th NHL Entry Draft. It was held at the Montreal Forum in Montreal, Quebec. The National Hockey League (NHL) teams selected 211 players eligible for entry into professional ranks, in the reverse order of the 1980–81 NHL season and playoff standings. This is the list of those players selected.


1981 NHL Entry Draft, Selections by round
Below are listed the selections in the 1981 NHL Entry Draft. Club teams are located in North America unless otherwise noted.


1981 NHL Entry Draft, Selections by round, Round one, Notes (Round 1)
1. * The Detroit Red Wings' first round pick went to the Los Angeles Kings as the result of a trade on August 22, 1979 that sent Dale McCourt and Rogie Vachon to the Detroit Red Wings in exchange for Andre St. Laurent, 1st round pick in 1980 NHL Entry Draft and this pick.


1981 NHL Entry Draft, Selections by round, Round one, Notes (Round 1)
2. * The Colorado Rockies' first round pick went to the Washington Capitals as the result of a trade on June 10, 1981 that sent the 5th overall pick and 26th overall pick to the Colorado Rockies in exchange for the 45th overall pick and this pick.


1981 NHL Entry Draft, Selections by round, Round one, Notes (Round 1)
3. * The Washington Capitals' first round pick went to the Colorado Rockies as the result of to a trade on June 10, 1981 that sent the 3rd overall pick and the 45th overall pick to the Washington Capitals in exchange for 26th overall pick and this pick.


1981 NHL Entry Draft, Selections by round, Round one, Notes (Round 1)
4. * The Pittsburgh Penguins' first round pick went to the Montreal Canadiens as the result of to a trade on October 18, 1978 that sent Rod Schutt to the Pittsburgh Penguins in exchange for this pick.


1981 NHL Entry Draft, Selections by round, Round one, Notes (Round 1)
5. * The Los Angeles Kings' first round pick went to the Montreal Canadiens as the result of to a trade on October 5, 1978 that sent Murray Wilson and the 1st round pick in 1979 to the Los Angeles Kings in exchange for this pick.


1981 NHL Entry Draft, Selections by round, Round two, Notes (Round 2)
1. * The Colorado Rockies' second round pick went to the Toronto Maple Leafs as the result of a trade on October 19, 1978 that sent Jack Valiquette to the Colorado Rockies in exchange for this pick.


1981 NHL Entry Draft, Selections by round, Round two, Notes (Round 2)
2. * The Hartford Whalers' second round pick went to the Chicago Black Hawks as the result of a trade on June 19, 1980 that sent Mike Veisor to the Hartford Whalers in exchange for this pick.


1981 NHL Entry Draft, Selections by round, Round two, Notes (Round 2)
3. * The Washington Capitals' second round pick went to the Colorado Rockies as the result of to a trade on June 10, 1981 that sent the 3rd overall pick and the 45th overall pick to the Washington Capitals in exchange for 5th overall pick and this pick.


1981 NHL Entry Draft, Selections by round, Round two, Notes (Round 2)
4. * The Toronto Maple Leafs' second round pick went to the Minnesota North Stars as the result of to a trade on March 10, 1981 that sent Ron Zanussi and the 55th overall pick to the Toronto Maple Leafs in exchange for this pick.


1981 NHL Entry Draft, Selections by round, Round two, Notes (Round 2)
5. * The Vancouver Canucks' second round pick went to the Minnesota North Stars as the result of to a trade on December 10, 1979 that sent Olov Brasar to the Vancouver Canucks in exchange for this pick.


1981 NHL Entry Draft, Selections by round, Round two, Notes (Round 2)
6. * The Quebec Nordiques' second round pick went to the Montreal Canadiens as the result of to a trade on June 9, 1979 that Montreal Canadiens promise to take Dan Geoffrion and Alain Cote, rather than Marc Tardif and/or Richard David, from the Quebec Nordiques in 1979 NHL Expansion Draft in exchange for the third round pick in 1980 and this pick. Nordiques promise to take Alain Cote in NHL Expansion Draft.


1981 NHL Entry Draft, Selections by round, Round two, Notes (Round 2)
7 . * The Chicago Black Hawks' second round pick went to the Minnesota North Stars as the result of to a trade on December 29, 1980 that sent Glen Sharpley to the Chicago Black Hawks in exchange for this pick.


1981 NHL Entry Draft, Selections by round, Round two, Notes (Round 2)
8. * The Calgary Flames' second round pick went to the St. Louis Blues as the result of to a trade on October 10, 1979 that sent Garry Unger to the Calgary Flames in exchange for Ed Kea, Don Laurence, and this pick.


1981 NHL Entry Draft, Selections by round, Round two, Notes (Round 2)
9. * The St. Louis Blues' second round pick went to the Minnesota North Stars as the result of to a trade on June 15, 1978 that sent Bob Stewart and Harvey Bennett to the St. Louis Blues in exchange for this pick.


1981 NHL Entry Draft, Selections by round, Round three, Notes (Round 3)
1. * The Colorado Rockies' third round pick went to the Washington Capitals as the result of a trade on June 10, 1981 that sent the 5th overall pick and the 26th overall pick to the Colorado Rockies in exchange for 3rd overall pick and this pick.


1981 NHL Entry Draft, Selections by round, Round three, Notes (Round 3)
2. * The Hartford Whalers' third round pick went to the Montreal Canadiens as the result of a trade on June 5, 1980 that sent Rick Meagher, the 61st overall pick, and the 103rd overall pick to the Hartford Whalers in exchange for the 88th overall pick and this pick.


1981 NHL Entry Draft, Selections by round, Round three, Notes (Round 3)
3. * The Washington Capitals' third round pick went to the Philadelphia Flyers as the result of to a trade on August 16, 1979 that sent Wayne Stephenson to the Washington Capitals in exchange for this pick.


1981 NHL Entry Draft, Selections by round, Round three, Notes (Round 3)
4. * The Toronto Maple Leafs' third round pick went to the Colorado Rockies as the result of to a trade on June 30, 1981 that sent Rene Robert to the Toronto Maple Leafs in exchange for this pick.


1981 NHL Entry Draft, Selections by round, Round three, Notes (Round 3)
5. * The Edmonton Oilers' third round pick went to the New York Rangers as the result of to a trade on March 11, 1980 that sent Don Murdoch to the Edmonton Oilers in exchange for Cam Connor and this pick.


1981 NHL Entry Draft, Selections by round, Round three, Notes (Round 3)
6. * The Minnesota North Stars' third round pick went to the Toronto Maple Leafs as the result of to a trade on March 10, 1981 that sent the 27th overall pick to the Minnesota North Stars in exchange for Ron Zanussi and this pick.


1981 NHL Entry Draft, Selections by round, Round three, Notes (Round 3)
7 . * The Boston Bruins' third round pick went to the Calgary Flames as the result of to a trade on June 2, 1980 that sent Jim Craig to the Boston Bruins in exchange for the second round pick in 1980 and this pick.


1981 NHL Entry Draft, Selections by round, Round three, Notes (Round 3)
8. * The Calgary Flames' third round pick went to the New York Islanders as the result of to a trade on October 9, 1980 that sent Alex McKendry to the Calgary Flames in exchange for this pick.


1981 NHL Entry Draft, Selections by round, Round three, Notes (Round 3)
9. * The Los Angeles Kings' third round pick went to the Buffalo Sabres as the result of to a trade on March 10, 1981 that sent Rick Martin to the Los Angeles Kings in exchange for the 60th overall pick and this pick.


1981 NHL Entry Draft, Selections by round, Round three, Notes (Round 3)
10. * The Montreal Canadiens' third round pick went to the Hartford Whalers as the result of to a trade on June 5, 1980 that sent the 46th overall pick and the 88th overall pick to the Los Angeles Kings in exchange for Rick Meagher, the 103rd overall pick, and this pick.


1981 NHL Entry Draft, Selections by round, Round four, Notes (Round 4)
1. * The Detroit Red Wings' fourth round pick went to the Philadelphia Flyers as the result of a trade on September 4, 1979 that sent Dennis Sobchuk to the Detroit Red Wings in exchange for this pick.


1981 NHL Entry Draft, Selections by round, Round four, Notes (Round 4)
2. * The Toronto Maple Leafs' fourth round pick went to the Minnesota North Stars as the result of a trade on June 14, 1978 that sent Paul Harrison to the Toronto Maple Leafs in exchange for this pick.


1981 NHL Entry Draft, Selections by round, Round four, Notes (Round 4)
3. * The St. Louis Blues' fourth round pick went to the Buffalo Sabres as the result of to a trade on October 20, 1980 that sent Bill Stewart to the Washington Capitals in exchange for Bob Hess and this pick.


1981 NHL Entry Draft, Selections by round, Round five, Notes (Round 5)
1. * The Hartford Whalers' fifth round pick went to the Montreal Canadiens as the result of a trade on June 5, 1980 that sent Rick Meagher, the 61st overall pick, and the 103rd overall pick to the Hartford Whalers in exchange for the 46th overall pick and this pick.


1981 NHL Entry Draft, Selections by round, Round five, Notes (Round 5)
2. * The Pittsburgh Penguins' fifth round pick went to the Washington Capitals as the result of a trade on January 2, 1981 that sent Gary Rissling to the Pittsburgh Penguins in exchange for this pick.


1981 NHL Entry Draft, Selections by round, Round five, Notes (Round 5)
3. * The New York Rangers' fifth round pick went to the Hartford Whalers as the result of to a trade on January 15, 1981 that sent Nick Fotiu to the New York Rangers in exchange for this pick.


1981 NHL Entry Draft, Selections by round, Round five, Notes (Round 5)
4. * The Vancouver Canucks' fifth round pick went to the New York Islanders as the result of to a trade on October 6, 1980 that sent Richard Brodeur and the 105th overall pick to the Vancouver Canucks in exchange for this pick.


1981 NHL Entry Draft, Selections by round, Round five, Notes (Round 5)
5. * The Los Angeles Kings' fifth round pick went to the Toronto Maple Leafs as the result of to a trade on March 10, 1981 that sent Jim Rutherford to the Los Angeles Kings in exchange for this pick.


1981 NHL Entry Draft, Selections by round, Round five, Notes (Round 5)
6. * The Montreal Canadiens' fifth round pick went to the Hartford Whalers as the result of to a trade on June 5, 1980 that sent the 46th overall pick and the 88th overall pick to the Montreal Canadiens in exchange for Rick Meagher, the 61st overall pick, and this pick.


1981 NHL Entry Draft, Selections by round, Round five, Notes (Round 5)
7 . * The New York Islanders' fifth round pick went to the Vancouver Canucks as the result of to a trade on October 6, 1980 that sent the 94th overall pick to the New York Islanders in exchange for Richard Brodeur and this pick.


1981 NHL Entry Draft, Selections by round, Round six, Notes (round 6)
1. * The Hartford Whalers' sixth round pick went to the Pittsburgh Penguins as the result of a trade on February 20, 1981, that sent Gilles Lupien to the Hartford Whalers in exchange for this pick.


1981 NHL Entry Draft, Selections by round, Round six, Notes (round 6)
2. * The Toronto Maple Leafs' sixth round pick went to the Edmonton Oilers as the result of a trade on August 22, 1979, that sent Reg Thomas to the Toronto Maple Leafs in exchange for this pick.


1981 NHL Entry Draft, Selections by round, Round seven, Notes (Round 7)
1. * The Edmonton Oilers' seventh round pick went to the Los Angeles Kings as the result of a trade on March 10, 1981 that sent Garry Unger to the Edmonton Oilers in exchange for this pick.


1981 NHL Entry Draft, Selections by round, Round seven, Notes (Round 7)
2. * The Quebec Nordiques' seventh round pick went to the Philadelphia Flyers as the result of a trade on September 15, 1980 that sent Andre Dupont to the Quebec Nordiques in exchange for this pick.


1981 NHL Entry Draft, Selections by round, Round eleven, Notes (Round 11)
1. * Bonus selection awarded from NHL as compensation for accepting move from the Smythe Division to the Norris Division for the 1981–82 NHL season


1981 NSL Cup
The 1981 NSL Cup was the fifth season of the NSL Cup, which was the main national association football knockout cup competition in Australia. All 16 NSL teams from around Australia entered the competition, as well as a further 20 from various state leagues around Australia.


1981 NSWRFL season
The 1981 New South Wales Rugby Football League premiership was the 74th season of Sydney's professional rugby league football competition, Australia's first. Twelve clubs, including six of 1908's foundation teams and another six from around Sydney competed for the J J Giltinan Shield and WD & HO Wills Cup during the season, which culminated in a grand final between the Parramatta and Newtown clubs. NSWRFL clubs also competed in the 1981 Tooth Cup and players from NSWRFL clubs were selected to represent the New South Wales team.


1981 NSWRFL season, Season summary
In 1981 the "sin-bin" was introduced to rugby league in Australia, enabling referees to send players from the field for five or ten minute periods for minor or deliberate technical offences. Newtown hooker Barry Jensen became the first player to be sent from the field in this manner.


1981 NSWRFL season, Season summary
Midway through the season, players contracted to NSWRFL clubs were selected to represent the New South Wales team in two games against the Queensland team in 1981. After that the experimental 1981 State of Origin game was played, and for the second time in history NSWRFL clubs' players were able to represent Queensland.


1981 NSWRFL season, Season summary
Twenty-two regular season rounds were played from March until August, resulting in a top five of Easts, Newtown, Parramatta, Cronulla and Manly who battled it out in the finals.


1981 NSWRFL season, Season summary
Eastern Suburbs' halfback Kevin Hastings won the 1981 season's Rothmans Medal as well as Rugby League Week's Player of the Year award. The Dally M Award went to Cronulla-Sutherland centre, Steve Rogers.


1981 NSWRFL season, Season summary, Teams
This was to be the final year that the NSWRFL premiership was an all-Sydney competition, with the introduction of teams from Canberra and Illawarra in 1982 starting a new era of expansion which would see the League transform into a national, then international competition.


1981 NSWRFL season, Season summary, Teams
47th seasonGround: Belmore OvalCoach: Ted GlossopCaptain: Mark Hughes & Garry Hughes


1981 NSWRFL season, Finals
The elimination semi-final between Newtown and Manly-Warringah will always be remembered for the notorious all-in brawl, with the main combatants Newtown's Steve Bowden and Manly hardman Mark Broadhurst. Bowden was marched for the incident and was unable to take part in the Preliminary Final against Eastern Suburbs or the Grand Final against Parramatta.


1981 NSWRFL season, Finals, Grand Final
Newtown had reached their first grand final in twenty-six years. Parramatta led 7–6 at half-time, but the Jets looked set to spring a major upset when tough half back Tommy Raudonikis crashed over to score early in the second-half. Then the Eels' brilliant backline exploded into action. The combination of Brett Kenny, Mick Cronin, Peter Sterling, Eric Grothe and Steve Ella dominated and would go on to feature in five grand finals and four premierships by the end of 1986.


1981 NSWRFL season, Finals, Grand Final
Steve Edge became the first player to captain two different sides to premiership victory having captained St. George to a win over the Eels in season 1977.


1981 NSWRFL season, Finals, Grand Final
Master coach Jack Gibson had just six words for a packed Parramatta Leagues Club auditorium, who had just witnessed the Eels' first ever premiership since their 1947 entry to the competition. "Ding, dong, the witch is dead," he said before the thunderous chants of the success-starved blue and gold army of fans.


1981 NSWRFL season, Finals, Grand Final
Parramatta 20 (Tries: Kenny 2, Atkins, Ella. Goals: Cronin 4.)


1981 NSWRFL season, Finals, Grand Final, Cumberland Oval
In the resultant celebrations at Parramatta with a large group of supporters having gathered at the Eels homeground of Cumberland Oval, subsequently lit a fire that burned the grandstand to the ground. In late 1984 a construction contract was signed by the NSW Government, with the new Parramatta Stadium being opened on 5 March 1986 by Queen Elizabeth II. Parramatta Stadium itself was knocked down along with the adjacent public pools, in 2017. The new stadium, the Western Sydney Stadium was opened on 14 April 2019.


1981 Nandurbar by-election
In 1981 a bye-election was held in for the Nandurbar Lok Sabha seat of the Lok Sabha of the Indian parliament from state of Maharashtra. The election was won by the INC candidate Manikrao Hodlya Gavit with 188550 votes, against   of Janata Party with 61157 votes.


1981 NatWest Trophy
The 1981 NatWest Trophy was an English limited overs county cricket tournament which was held between 11 July and 5 September 1981. Itwas the first NatWest Trophy since being renamed from the Gillette Cup. The tournament was won by Derbyshire who defeated Northamptonshire by means of losing fewer wickets following a tie in the final at Lord's.


1981 NatWest Trophy, Format
The seventeen first-class counties were joined by five Minor Counties: Cheshire, Durham, Hertfordshire, Oxfordshire and Suffolk. The Ireland team also participated. Teams who won in the first round progressed to the second round. The winners in the second round then progressed to the quarter-final stage. Winners from the quarter-finals then progressed to the semi-finals from which the winners then went on to the final at Lord's which was held on 5 September 1981.


1981 National Camogie League
The 1981 National Camogie League, the second most important elite level inter-county competition in the women's team field sport of camogie was won by Dublin, who defeated Cork in the final, played at Russell Park.


1981 National Camogie League, Arrangements
Counties played each other twice for the first time in the history of the Camogie League. Cork beat Kilkenny and Wexford at home and away while Dublin defeated Antrim and Down and got a walk-over from Derry who found it difficult to travel for their fixture. Limerick won their group from Clare, Galway and Tipperary and were beaten in the semi-final by Dublin.


1981 National Camogie League, The Final
Marian Conroy’s accuracy from frees secured the title for Dublin. The first goal of the game came in the 37th minute from a fine movement involving Joan Gormley, Marian Conroy and Orla Ní Ríain who sent the ball to the net. Cork replied in the 45th minute with a goal by Pat Moloney, leaving three points between the sides but despite a concerted effort by the Cork forwards during the last quarter their scoring efforts were repulsed by Yvonne Redmond in the Dublin goal. Cork were without their star forward Mary O'Leary. > Agnes Hourigan wrote in the Irish Press:


1981 National Camogie League, The Final
It was Dublin’s ability to pick off points that ensured victory. Strength at midfield and consistency in defence were the features of the Dublin team.


1981 National Camogie League, Division 2
The Junior National League, known since 2006 as Division Two, was won by Cavan who defeated Louth by four points to two in the lowest scoring final in the history of the division, In the replay on July 5 at Castlebellingham. Eileen Clarke saved the day for Cavan when she pointed from play to force a 2-4 to 1-7 draw at Cootheill on May 30. Cavan had led 2-2 to 0-3 at half time thanks to goals from Bernie O'Callaghan and Ann O'Sullivan.


1981 National Camogie League, Division 2
Noeleen Brady scored all of Louth’s total of 1-7. Cavan led 0-4 to nil at half-time in the replay. Bernie O'Callaghan scored all of Cavan’s points, while Noeleen Brady scored two Louth points in reply in the second half. Vivienne Kelly in the Louth goal was player of the match for both draw and replay. Louth were reigning Leinster junior champions and had beaten Kildare in the Division 2 semi-final. Kildare were 1980 Division 2 finalists and were to become 1981 Leinster junior champions.


1981 National Challenge Cup
The 1981 National Challenge Cup was the 68th edition of the USSF's annual open soccer championship. Teams from the North American Soccer League declined to participate. Maccabee A.C. defeated Brooklyn Dodgers in the final game. The score was 5–1.


1981 National Invitation Tournament
The 1981 National Invitation Tournament was the 1981 edition of the annual NCAA college basketball competition.


1981 National Invitation Tournament, Selected teams
Below is a list of the 32 teams selected for the tournament.


1981 National Invitation Tournament, Bracket
Below are the four first round brackets, along with the four-team championship bracket.


1981 National League Championship Series
The 1981 National League Championship Series was a best-of-five series to end the 1981 National League season. It was the 13th NLCS in all. The series featured the first-half West Division champion Los Angeles Dodgers and the second-half East Division champion Montreal Expos. The Dodgers won the series three games to two over the Expos, thanks to a ninth-inning home run in Game 5 by Rick Monday in what has ever since been referred to as "Blue Monday" by Expos fans.


1981 National League Championship Series
The Dodgers would go on to defeat the New York Yankees in the World Series.


1981 National League Championship Series, Background
Due to the 1981 Major League Baseball strike, a team had to win two postseason series in order to go to the World Series. Teams that finished first in their division in the first and second halves of the season advanced to the postseason. This was the first year the baseball postseason had three rounds, an arrangement that would permanently return beginning with the 1995 season. The Expos advanced to the NLCS after defeating the defending world champion Philadelphia Phillies in the NL Division Series three games to two, and the Dodgers made their way to the NLCS after beating the Houston Astros three games to two in the NLDS.


1981 National League Championship Series, Background
This was also the first NLCS since 1973 that did not feature either the Philadelphia Phillies or their cross-state rival Pittsburgh Pirates, and only the third since the NLCS was first played in 1969.


1981 National League Championship Series, Game summaries, Game 1
Tuesday, October 13, 1981, at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles, California


1981 National League Championship Series, Game summaries, Game 1
The Dodgers took the first game of the series behind the strong pitching of starter Burt Hooton. For the first seven innings the game stayed close, with the only scoring coming in the second inning when the Dodgers got two runs on an RBI double by Ron Cey and a squeeze bunt by Bill Russell. Hooton and reliever Bob Welch made the 2–0 lead stand up until the eighth when the Dodgers broke the game open with three more runs on back-to-back homers by Pedro Guerrero and Mike Scioscia. The Expos got one run back in the ninth when Larry Parrish doubled home Gary Carter. But reliever Steve Howe came on for the Dodgers and got the final three outs to preserve Los Angeles' victory.


1981 National League Championship Series, Game summaries, Game 2
Wednesday, October 14, 1981, at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles, California


1981 National League Championship Series, Game summaries, Game 2
Montreal's Ray Burris helped even the series with a masterful complete game shutout in Game 2. The Dodgers managed only five singles against Burris, and their only real threats, in the sixth and ninth, were foiled by double plays. Typically in what would be a very low-scoring series, the Expos didn't do much more hitting against Dodger starter Fernando Valenzuela. But Montreal did manage to push across two runs in the second on RBI hits by Warren Cromartie and Tim Raines. Montreal added another run in the sixth, aided by Dusty Baker's error in left. Burris did the rest to notch his 3–0 victory.


1981 National League Championship Series, Game summaries, Game 3
Friday, October 16, 1981, at Olympic Stadium in Montreal, Quebec


1981 National League Championship Series, Game summaries, Game 3
Montreal got another superb pitching performance in Game 3, this time from Steve Rogers, to take a 2–1 lead in the series. Rogers allowed only a single run on a Ron Cey groundout after singles by Dusty Baker and Steve Garvey in the fourth. For a while it looked like Dodger starter Jerry Reuss might make that 1–0 score hold up. But Montreal finally rallied for four runs in the sixth on a run-scoring single by Larry Parrish and a three-run homer by Jerry White. Rogers easily preserved the 4–1 lead over the final three innings, and Montreal was now only one victory away from the World Series.


1981 National League Championship Series, Game summaries, Game 4
Saturday, October 17, 1981, at Olympic Stadium in Montreal, Quebec


1981 National League Championship Series, Game summaries, Game 4
For the first seven innings Game 4 followed the usual pattern of the series, with dominant performances from both starting pitchers. Montreal's Bill Gullickson allowed an unearned run in the third, after Bill Russell reached on Larry Parrish's error and scored on Dusty Baker's double. Los Angeles' Burt Hooton gave up the game-tying run in the fourth on another unearned tally, when Gary Carter reached on Ron Cey's error and scored on a single by Warren Cromartie. The starters yielded nothing more until the eighth, when Steve Garvey's two-run homer put the Dodgers up 3–1 and chased Gullickson. The Dodgers blew the game open with four more runs in the ninth, highlighted by Baker's two-run single. Hooton finally tired in the eighth but the Dodger bullpen got the last five outs and the series was even.


1981 National League Championship Series, Game summaries, Game 5
Monday, October 19, 1981, at Olympic Stadium in Montreal, Quebec


1981 National League Championship Series, Game summaries, Game 5
After a rainout (actually a snow/cold out) on Sunday, October 18, Olympic Stadium was only two-thirds full for Game 5 on a cold and drizzly Monday afternoon, which turned out to be the series' most dramatic contest. As usual in the series, the starting pitchers dominated, with the Dodgers' Fernando Valenzuela and the Expos' Ray Burris. Montreal broke on top with a single run in the first when Tim Raines led off with a double and eventually scored on a double play.


1981 National League Championship Series, Game summaries, Game 5
The Dodgers tied the game in the fifth after Rick Monday singled, went to third on a Pedro Guerrero single, and scored on a groundout. Burris finally left the game in the eighth when the Expos pinch-hit for him. Montreal brought on their ace Steve Rogers to pitch the ninth, and with two out in the inning, he gave up a homer to Monday on a 3–1 count to put the Dodgers up 2–1.


1981 National League Championship Series, Game summaries, Game 5
The Expos got a couple of two-out walks in the bottom of the ninth off Valenzuela, but Bob Welch came on to get the final out and send the Dodgers to the World Series. It would be the final postseason game played in Montreal and it would take another 31 seasons until the franchise returned to the postseason again as the Washington Nationals.


1981 National League Championship Series, Game summaries, Game 5
The date came to be known as "Blue Monday" by Expos' fans. Expos' broadcaster Dave Van Horne described the loss as one of the lowest points in team history.


1981 National League Championship Series, Aftermath
The Dodgers went on to defeat the New York Yankees four games to two in the 1981 World Series, their only championship in the Garvey-Lopes-Russell-Cey era. From 1973-81, the historic infield combined for 21 All-Star selections, with each man receiving at least three.


1981 National League Championship Series, Aftermath
This was the only postseason appearance for the Montreal Expos, before the franchise moved to Washington, D.C. and became the Washington Nationals. The Nationals would play the Dodgers in the 2016 National League Division Series and the 2019 National League Division Series, with Washington losing the former and winning the latter on their way to the team’s first World Series win. All three postseason match-ups between the Expos/Nationals and the Dodgers have come down to a winner-take-all elimination game.


1981 National League Championship Series, Aftermath
Released in 2016, in ‘Blue Monday: The Expos, the Dodgers, and the Home Run That Changed Everything,’ author Danny Gallagher argued that Rick Monday’s home run in game five off Steve Rogers in the 9th inning was the moment that preceded the Expos exit in Montreal. Had they won game five and went to the World Series for the first time ever, Gallagher argues, the Expos would still be in Montreal. The book also examines  the Expos five-year plan for winning the National League championship and World Series, which was set in place during the 1977 season with the hiring of experienced manager Dick Williams.


1981 National League Division Series
The 1981 National League Division Series (NLDS), the opening round of the 1981 National League playoffs which began on Tuesday, October 6, and ended on Sunday, October 11. The Division Series was created on August 6 in response to the 1981 Major League Baseball strike, which caused the cancellation of roughly one-third of the regular season between June 12 and August 9; by the time play was resumed, it was decided that the best approach was to have the first-half leaders automatically qualify for postseason play, and allow all the teams to begin the second half with a clean slate. The series were best-of-five games.


1981 National League Division Series
The Montreal Expos defeated the Philadelphia Phillies while the Los Angeles Dodgers defeated the Houston Astros to advance to the National League Championship Series.


1981 National League Division Series, Overview
The first half and second-half champions in both the National League East and National League West divisions would meet in best-of-five series, with the winners advancing to the NL Championship Series (NLCS). If the same team won both halves, a wild card team – the second-place team from both halves combined – would qualify for the postseason, but this proved unnecessary in both leagues. There were no plans to continue the format in later seasons, although the Division Series resumed in 1995 after MLB realigned to three divisions in each league. The teams in the 1981 NLDS were:


1981 National League Division Series, Overview
The second-half champions played the first two games at home, with the first-half champions hosting all remaining games; this was predetermined in August, independent of team records. Had a team won both halves of the season, they would have hosted all games of the series other than the first game, which the wild card team would host.


1981 National League Division Series, Overview
The results of the format were highly controversial, as the Cincinnati Reds failed to qualify for the postseason despite having the best record in baseball (66–42) over the full season; the St. Louis Cardinals, with the NL's second-best record (59–43), were also left out. The Reds had finished the first half of the season just a half-game behind the Dodgers, while the Cardinals finished the second half just a half-game behind the Expos, who were making their first postseason appearance after 13 years of play.


1981 National League Division Series, Overview
Both series went the full five games. The home team won every game in both series save for one: Game 5 of the East Division series, which Montreal won 3–0 at Philadelphia's Veterans Stadium. The Dodgers and Expos went on to meet in the NL Championship Series. The Dodgers became the National League champion, and defeated the American League champion New York Yankees in the 1981 World Series.


1981 National League Division Series, Los Angeles vs. Houston, Game 1
Fernando Valenzuela faced Nolan Ryan, a matchup worthy of a pitcher's duel. The game remained scoreless until the bottom of the sixth. Tony Scott singled home Terry Puhl to score the game's first run, but Steve Garvey tied the game with a home run in the top of the seventh. The game would remain 1–1 into the bottom of the ninth. Dave Stewart retired the first two men, but Craig Reynolds singled and Alan Ashby slugged a two-run walk-off home run.


1981 National League Division Series, Los Angeles vs. Houston, Game 2
Jerry Reuss was pitted against Joe Niekro. Both pitchers kept the game scoreless, but both teams had trouble scoring runs when they managed to get men on. Reuss pitched nine innings and Niekro eight. It remained scoreless until the bottom of the 11th. Dave Stewart was brought in once again, although having lost the last game. He surrendered back-to-back singles to open the inning. He was taken out and the bases were loaded thanks to an intentional walk to César Cedeño. The bullpen had managed to get two outs but pinch hitter Denny Walling hit the game winner, a single to right field.


1981 National League Division Series, Los Angeles vs. Houston, Game 3
Houston was now one win away from winning their first ever postseason series and moving one step closer to the franchise's first pennant. However, Burt Hooton was there to stop the streaking Astros against Bob Knepper. Hooton held the Astros to three hits over seven innings and the bullpen held them to no hits through the last two innings. After an RBI double by Dusty Baker, Steve Garvey hit a two-run homer to make it 3–0 in the bottom of the first.


1981 National League Division Series, Los Angeles vs. Houston, Game 3
Art Howe would drive the only run of the game for the Astros by hitting a leadoff home run in the third. The Dodgers would add insurance in the eighth. With two on and one out off of Joe Sambito, Bill Russell's RBI single, Reggie Smith's sacrifice fly, and Ken Landreaux's RBI single extended their lead to 6–1. Bob Welch pitched a scoreless ninth to keep the Dodgers in the series.


1981 National League Division Series, Los Angeles vs. Houston, Game 4
Fernando Valenzuela took the hill for the Dodgers once again, this time against Vern Ruhle. Both pitchers pitched complete games for their respective teams. Eventual World Series co-MVP Pedro Guerrero got the Dodgers on the board first with a homer in the bottom of the fifth. Bill Russell drove in the eventual winning run in the bottom of the seventh with an RBI single. A two-out RBI single in the ninth produced the only Astros run as the Dodgers won Game 4, 2–1.


1981 National League Division Series, Los Angeles vs. Houston, Game 5
Nolan Ryan was brought in on clinching day to win the Astros their first ever postseason series. Opposing him would be Jerry Reuss, who had pitched so well in Game 2. Thanks to a few walks and an error, the Dodgers struck for three runs in the bottom of the sixth. A two-out triple by Steve Garvey made it 4–0 Dodgers in the seventh. In the end, Reuss went the distance again and pitched a brilliant five-hit shutout to put the Dodgers in the 1981 National League Championship Series. In addition, the Dodgers avenged their loss to the Astros the previous year in a one-game playoff for the NL West title.


1981 National League Division Series, Philadelphia vs. Montreal, Game 1
In the other division series, the Expos, participating for the first time in post-season play (they would not make the playoffs again until  31 years later, as the Washington Nationals), would have to defeat the defending World Champions, the Philadelphia Phillies. Steve Rogers faced Steve Carlton in Game 1 in Montreal, the first-ever MLB postseason game played outside the United States. A Gary Carter double scored the first Expo run in postseason history in the first. But the Phillies wasted no time in responding. Keith Moreland homered to lead off the second. The game was tied at one.


1981 National League Division Series, Philadelphia vs. Montreal, Game 1
A Chris Speier double gave the Expos the lead for good. Warren Cromartie would double in the third and final Expo run of the game. The score would remain the same. Rogers pitched 8 2⁄3 innings and gave up ten hits, but only one run was allowed. Jeff Reardon got the final out and the save. This was the Expos' first postseason victory.


1981 National League Division Series, Philadelphia vs. Montreal, Game 2
Dick Ruthven was called on to stem the tide against Bill Gullickson. Chris Speier's RBI single in the second made it 1–0 Expos. Then a two-run homer in the third by Gary Carter made it 3–0. Gullickson was masterful, allowing only one run (on Pete Rose's RBI single in the eighth after a two-out double by Lonnie Smith) and six hits in 7 2⁄3 innings. Jeff Reardon got the save for the second consecutive game.