1981 Columbia Lions football team

The 1981 Columbia Lions football team was an American football team that represented Columbia University during the 1981 NCAA Division I-A football season. Columbia tied for last place in the Ivy League.

1981 Columbia Lions football
Conference	Ivy League
Record	1–9 (1–6 Ivy)
Head coach	Bob Naso (2nd season)
Captains	Tom McNally Vince Pellini
Home stadium	Baker Field
Seasons ← 1980 1982 →

1981 Ivy League football standings

v t e	Conf							Overall
Team	W		L		T			W		L		T
Yale +	6	–	1	–	0			9	–	1	–	0
Dartmouth +	6	–	1	–	0			6	–	4	–	0
Princeton	5	–	1	–	1			5	–	4	–	1
Harvard	4	–	2	–	1			5	–	4	–	1
Brown	2	–	5	–	0			3	–	7	–	0
Cornell	2	–	5	–	0			3	–	7	–	0
Columbia	1	–	6	–	0			1	–	9	–	0
Penn	1	–	6	–	0			1	–	9	–	0
+ – Conference co-champions

In their second season under head coach Bob Naso, the Lions compiled a 1–9 record and were outscored 243 to 116. Vince Pellini and Tom McNally were the team captains.^[1]

The Lions' 1–6 conference record tied for seventh in the Ivy League standings. Columbia was outscored 160 to 93 by Ivy opponents.^[2]

This would be Columbia's last season in the NCAA's top level of football competition. Shortly after the season ended, the NCAA reassigned all of the Ivy League teams to the second-tier Division I-AA,^[3] which would later be renamed the Football Championship Subdivision.

Columbia played its home games at Baker Field in Upper Manhattan, in New York City.

Schedule

Date	Opponent	Site	Result	Attendance	Source
September 19	Harvard	Baker Field New York, NY	L 6–23	4,745	^[4]
September 26	Lafayette*	Baker Field New York, NY	L 13–28	3,795	^[5]
October 3	Penn	Baker Field New York, NY	W 20–9	4,375	^[6]
October 10	at Princeton	Palmer Stadium Princeton, NJ	L 14–21	12,360	^[7]
October 17	Yale	Baker Field New York, NY	L 17–48	10,025	^[8]
October 24	Colgate*	Baker Field New York, NY	L 3–41	4,975	^[9]
October 31	at Holy Cross*	Fitton Field Worcester, MA	L 7–14	8,041	^[10]
November 7	Dartmouth	Baker Field New York, NY	L 7–21	3,860	^[11]
November 14	at Cornell	Schoellkopf Field Ithaca, NY (rivalry)	L 9–15	3,500	^[12]
November 21	at Brown	Brown Stadium Providence, RI	L 20–23	4,800	^[13]
*Non-conference game Homecoming

References

1. "Columbia Football 2019 Record Book". New York, N.Y.: Columbia University. p. 215. Retrieved June 15, 2020.
2. "Year-by-Year History". Ivy League Football Media Guide (PDF). Princeton, N.J.: Ivy League. 2017. p. 29. Retrieved July 10, 2020.
3. Roberts, Ernie (December 4, 1981). "Big Guys on Block Bully Ivy, HC Football". The Boston Globe. Boston, Mass.
4. Craig, Jack (September 20, 1981). "Cuccia Sparks Harvard". Boston Sunday Globe. Boston, Mass. p. 56 – via Newspapers.com.
5. Compton, Eric (September 20, 1981). "Columbia Defense No Match for Lafayette, 28-13". Daily News. New York, N.Y. p. 72 – via Newspapers.com.
6. Shister, Gail (October 4, 1981). "Columbia Surprises Penn, 20-9". The Philadelphia Inquirer. Philadelphia, Pa. p. 9-F – via Newspapers.com.
7. O'Brien, Ken (October 11, 1981). "Holly Drives Tigers". The Home News Sunday. New Brunswick, N.J. p. B1 – via Newspapers.com.
8. Yantz, Tom (October 18, 1981). "Yale Turns Columbia's Roars to Whimpers, 48-17". The Hartford Courant. Hartford, Conn. p. C12 – via Newspapers.com.
9. "5 TDs by Colgate Frosh". Press & Sun-Bulletin. Binghamton, N.Y. October 24, 1981. pp. 6B, 2B – via Newspapers.com.
10. Singelais, Neil (November 1, 1981). "Holy Cross Holds Off Columbia". Boston Sunday Globe. Boston, Mass. p. 86 – via Newspapers.com.
11. Newman, David (November 8, 1981). "It's Dartmouth -- in a Real Breeze". Boston Sunday Globe. Boston, Mass. p. 80 – via Newspapers.com.
12. Van Sickle, Kenny (November 16, 1981). "Cornell Goes to the Wire to Beat Columbia". The Ithaca Journal. Ithaca, N.Y. p. 13 – via Newspapers.com.
13. "Brown 23, Columbia 20". Boston Sunday Globe. Boston, Mass. November 22, 1981. p. 84 – via Newspapers.com.