1961 Northern Illinois Huskies football team

The 1961 Northern Illinois State Huskies football team represented Northern Illinois University as a member of the Interstate Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (IIAC) during the 1961 college football season. Led by sixth-year head coach Howard Fletcher, the Huskies compiled an overall record of 4–4–1 with a mark of 3–2–1 in conference play, tying for third place in the IIAC. The team played home games at the 5,500-seat Glidden Field, located on the east end of campus, in DeKalb, Illinois.