1961 NCAA College Division basketball tournament

The 1961 NCAA College Division basketball tournament involved 32 schools playing in a single-elimination tournament to determine the national champion of men's NCAA College Division college basketball as a culmination of the 1960-61 NCAA College Division men's basketball season. It was won by Wittenberg University and South Dakota State's Don Jacobson was the Most Outstanding Player.

South – Clarksville, Tennessee
Location: Memorial Health Building Host: Austin Peay State College


 * Third place – Kentucky Wesleyan 111, Chattanooga 80

East – Reading, Pennsylvania
Location: Bollman Center Host: Albright College


 * Third place – Virginia Union 70, Fairfield 66

Northeast – Springfield, Massachusetts
Location: Judd Gymnasia Host: Springfield College


 * Third place – Rochester 82, Springfield 68

Mideast – Crawfordsville, Indiana
Location: Chadwick Court Host: Wabash College


 * Third place – Youngstown State 96, South Carolina State 82

Great Lakes – Chicago, Illinois
Location: Henry Crown Field House Host: University of Chicago


 * Third place – Evansville 98, MacMurray 97*

Southwest – Cape Girardeau, Missouri
Location: Houck Field House Host: Southeast Missouri State College


 * Third place – Trinity 75, Colorado College 58

Midwest – Brookings, South Dakota
Location: The Barn Host: South Dakota State College


 * Third place – Cornell 83, Wisconsin–Superior 72

Pacific Coast – Santa Barbara, California
Location: Robertson Gymnasium Host: University of California, Santa Barbara


 * Third place – Chapman 68, Nevada 63

* denotes each overtime played

National finals – Evansville, Indiana
Location: Roberts Municipal Stadium Host: Evansville College


 * Third place – South Dakota State 77, Mount St. Mary's 76

* denotes each overtime played

All-tournament team

 * George Fisher (Wittenberg)
 * Don Jacobsen (South Dakota State)
 * John O'Reilly (Mount Saint Mary's)
 * Vivian Reed (Southeast Missouri State)
 * Carl Ritter (Southeast Missouri State)