1981 Eastern Kentucky Colonels football team

The 1981 Eastern Kentucky Colonels football team represented Eastern Kentucky University as a member of the Ohio Valley Conference (OVC) during the 1981 NCAA Division I-AA football season. Led by 18th-year head coach Roy Kidd, the Colonels compiled an overall record of 12–2, with a mark of 8–0 in conference play, and finished as OVC champion. Eastern Kentucky advanced to the NCAA Division I-AA Championship Game and were defeated by Idaho State.