1981 in Michigan

← 1980 1979 1978 1981 in Michigan → 1982 1983 1984
Decades:	1960s 1970s 1980s 1990s 2000s
See also:	History of Michigan Historical outline of Michigan List of years in Michigan 1981 in the United States

Events from the year 1981 in Michigan.

The Associated Press (AP) selected the state's top sports stories as follows:

1. The first championship boxing match between Thomas Hearns boxing match with Sugar Ray Leonard on September 16 and billed as "The Showdown";
2. Eric Hipple's taking over as the Detroit Lions' quarterback after an injury to Gary Danielson;
3. Michigan's victory over Washington in the 1981 Rose Bowl;
4. The Detroit Pistons' selection of Isiah Thomas and Kelly Tripucka with the second and twelfth picks in the first round of the 1981 NBA draft;
5. The Detroit Tigers' November 27 trade of Steve Kemp to the Chicago White Sox in exchange for Chet Lemon;
6. The development of Kirk Gibson as a Major League Baseball player, compiling a .328 batting average for the Detroit Tigers;
7. The death of University of Michigan football broadcaster Bob Ufer;
8. The inaugural Michigan 500 automobile race at the Michigan International Speedway;
9. The Detroit Red Wings' December 2 trade of Dale McCourt, Mike Foligno, and Brent Peterson to the Buffalo Sabres in exchange for Danny Gare, Jim Schoenfeld, and Derek Smith; and
10. The induction of Ernie Harwell into the Baseball Hall of Fame.