1981 Illinois State Redbirds football team

The 1981 Illinois State Redbirds football team was an American football team that represented Illinois State University as a member of the Missouri Valley Conference (MVC) during the 1981 NCAA Division I-A football season. In their first year under head coach Bob Otolski, the Redbirds compiled an overall record of 3–7 with a mark of 0–5 in confernece play, placing last uot of eight teams in the MVC. Illinois State played home games at Hancock Stadium in Normal, Illinois.