The 1971 Cal State Los Angeles Diablos football team represented California State College at Los Angeles—now known as California State University, Los Angeles—as a member of the Pacific Coast Athletic Association (PCAA) during the 1971 NCAA University Division football season.
Led by first-year head coach Foster Andersen, Cal State Los Angeles compiled an overall record of 2–8 with a mark of 0–3 in conference play, placing last out of seven teams in the PCAA.
This was the third straight year the Diablos had a new head coach.
The team was held to a touchdown or less in eight of their ten games.
Cal State Los Angeles played home games at the East Los Angeles College Stadium in Monterey Park, California.