The 1981 NCAA Division I soccer tournament was the 23rd annual tournament organized by the National Collegiate Athletic Association to determine the national men's college soccer champion among its Division I members in the United States.

The final match was played at Stanford Stadium in Stanford, California on December 6.

Connecticut won their first Division I national title, defeating Alabama A&M in the final, 2–1 after one overtime.

[1] This was the final NCAA Division I championship before the introduction of gendered tournaments in the fall of 1982.

Two teams made their debut appearance in the NCAA Division I soccer tournament: NC State and Wisconsin.