The 1961 North Dakota State Bison football team was an American football team that represented North Dakota State University during the 1961 college football season as a member of the North Central Conference (NCC).
In their fifth year under head coach Bob Danielson, the team compiled a 3–6 record (1–5 in conference games), finished in sixth place out of seven teams in the NCC, and were outscored by a total of 196 to 124.
[1] The statistical leaders included John Stalpes (730 rushing yards, 44 points scored), Ron Erdmann (259 passing yards), and Tom Reynolds (113 receiving yards).
[2] The team played its home games at Dacotah Field in Fargo, North Dakota.