The 1981 Kent State Golden Flashes football team was an American football team that represented Kent State University in the Mid-American Conference (MAC) during the 1981 NCAA Division I-A football season. In their first season under head coach Ed Chlebek, the Golden Flashes compiled a 4–7 record (3–6 against MAC opponents), finished in seventh place in the MAC, and were outscored by all opponents by a combined total of 172 to 144.