1981 NCAA Division I Soccer Tournament
# 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.

## Bracket

| First round | First round | Second round | Second round | Third round | Third round | Semifinals | Semifinals | Championship Stanford Stadium Palo Alto, California | Championship Stanford Stadium Palo Alto, California |
| - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| Clemson | 3 | | | | | | | | |
| NC State | 1 | | | | | | | | |
| NC State | 1 | Clemson | 1 | | | | | | |
| | | Alabama A&M (2OT) | 2 | | | | | | |
| Alabama A&M (OT) | 1 | Alabama A&M (2OT) | 2 | | | | | | |
| Duke | 0 | | | | | | | | |
| Duke | 0 | | | Alabama A&M (OT) | 2 | | | | |
| | | | | West Virginia | 1 | | | | |
| | | Virginia | 1 | | | | | | |
| | | West Virginia | 2 | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | Alabama A&M (OT,PK) | 3 | | |
| | | | | | | Philadelphia U. | 2 | | |
| | | Indiana | 5 | | | | | | |
| | | Wisconsin | 1 | | | | | | |
| | | | | Indiana | 0 | | | | |
| | | | | Philadelphia U. | 1 | | | | |
| | | Philadelphia U. | 2 | | | | | | |
| | | Penn State | 0 | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | | | Alabama A&M | 1 |
| | | | | | | | | Connecticut (OT) | 2 |
| | | LIU Brooklyn (4OT) | 1 | | | | | | |
| | | Columbia | 0 | | | | | | |
| | | | | LIU Brooklyn | 0 | | | | |
| | | | | Connecticut | 3 | | | | |
| | | Connecticut | 6 | | | | | | |
| | | Vermont | 2 | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | Connecticut | 2 | | |
| | | | | | | Eastern Illinois | 1 | | |
| | | San Francisco | 1 | | | | | | |
| | | San Diego State (OT,PK) | 2# | | | | | | |
| San Diego State | 4# | San Diego State (OT,PK) | 2# | | | | | | |
| California | 0 | | | | | | | | |
| California | 0 | | | San Diego State | 0 | | | | |
| | | | | Eastern Illinois | w/o# | | | | |
| | | Saint Louis | 0 | | | | | | |
| | | Eastern Illinois | 1# | | | | | | |
| Eastern Illinois (OT) | 2# | Eastern Illinois | 1# | | | | | | |
| SIU Edwardsville | 1 | | | | | | | | |

### Note

* San Diego State and Eastern Illinois had their results vacated by the NCAA.
