The 1961 UC Riverside Highlanders football team represented the University of California, Riverside as an independent during the 1961 college football season. Led by third-year head coach Jim Whitley, UC Riverside compiled a record of 1–7. The team was outscored by its opponents 159 to 101 for the season. The Highlanders played home games at UCR Athletic Field in Riverside, California.
^Azusa College existed from 1956 to 1964. It merged with Los Angeles Pacific College in 1965 to become Azusa Pacific University. Azusa Pacific's official football records do not include the history from either of the predecessor schools.