The 1961 UC Santa Barbara Gauchos football team was an American football team that represented University of California, Santa Barbara (UCSB) as a member of the California Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) during the 1961 college football season.
In their second year under head coach Bill Hammer, the Gauchos compiled a 2–8 record (0–5 in conference games), finished in last place in the CCAA, and were outscored by a total of 231 to 100.
The team played its home games at La Playa Stadium in Santa Barbara, California.