The 1981 Auburn Tigers football team represented Auburn University in the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division I college football season of 1981. Competing as a member of the Southeastern Conference (SEC), the team was led by head coach Pat Dye, in his first year, and played their home games at Jordan–Hare Stadium in Auburn, Alabama. They finished the season with a record of 5–6 (2–4 in the SEC).