1971 Tampa Spartans football team

The 1971 Tampa Spartans football team represented the University of Tampa in the 1971 college football season. It was the Spartans' 35th season and competed as a College Division Independent. The team was led by head coach Bill Fulcher, in his first year, and played their home games at Tampa Stadium in Tampa, Florida. They finished with a record of six wins and five losses (6–5). Fulcher was hired on January 7, 1971, to serve as the replacement for Fran Curci who resigned to become the head coach at Miami.

After an upset loss against Louisiana Tech to open the season, the Spartans won four consecutive games against Chattanooga, Youngstown State, Dayton and Drake. Ranked No. 2 as they entered their game against Villanova, Tampa was upset by the Wildcats 24–3. After the loss, the Spartans would lose three of their next four games. A week after their loss at Louisville, Tampa returned home and lost to Ole Miss by a single point in a game that saw the Spartans score on touchdown passes of 93 and 49 yards. Tampa then rebounded the next week with a 43–7 win over East Carolina. The Spartans then closed the season with a loss at Vanderbilt and a victory over Florida A&M. On January 21, 1972, Fulcher resigned as head coach of the Spartans to take the same position at Georgia Tech.