1961 UC Santa Barbara Gauchos football team

The 1961 UC Santa Barbara Gauchos football team represented University of California, Santa Barbara (UCSB) during the 1961 college football season.

UCSB competed in the California Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA). The team was led by second-year head coach Bill Hammer, and played home games at La Playa Stadium in Santa Barbara, California. They finished the season with a record of two wins and eight losses (2–8, 0–5 CCAA).