The 2001 NCAA Division I-AA football season, part of college football in the United States organized by the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) at the Division I-AA level, began in August 2001, and concluded with the 2001 NCAA Division I-AA Football Championship Game on December 21, 2001, at Finley Stadium in Chattanooga, Tennessee.

The Montana Grizzlies won their second I-AA championship, defeating the Furman Paladins by a score of 13–6.

[1] Atlantic 10 Conference – Hofstra, Maine, Villanova, and William & Mary Big Sky Conference – Montana Gateway Football Conference – Northern Iowa Ivy League – Harvard Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference – Duquesne Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference – Florida A&M Northeast Conference – Sacred Heart Ohio Valley Conference – Eastern Illinois Patriot League – Lehigh Pioneer Football League – Dayton Southern Conference – Furman and Georgia Southern Southland Football League – McNeese State and Sam Houston State Southwestern Athletic Conference – Grambling State The top four teams in the tournament were seeded;[2] seeded teams were assured of hosting games in the first two rounds.

[3][4] * By team name denotes host institution

* By score denotes overtime