The 1981 Holy Cross Crusaders football team was an American football team that represented the College of the Holy Cross as an independent during the 1981 NCAA Division I-A football season.
The team was led by a new head coach, Rick E. Carter.
[1] This would be Holy Cross' last season in the NCAA's top level of competition.
Shortly after the season ended, the NCAA reassigned the Crusaders, along with several other football teams, to Division I-AA[2] now known as the Football Championship Subdivision.
All 1981 home games were played at Fitton Field on the Holy Cross campus in Worcester, Massachusetts.