1980 Cal Poly Mustangs football team
The 1980 Cal Poly Mustangs football team represented California Polytechnic State University during the 1980 NCAA Division II football season.
Cal Poly competed in the California Collegiate Athletic Association. The Mustangs were led by 13th-year head coach Joe Harper and played home games at Mustang Stadium in San Luis Obispo, California. They finished the regular season as champion of the CCAA, their fifth consecutive conference championship. The team finished the regular season with a record of seven wins and three losses. Two of those losses were against Division I-A opponents; the Mustangs defeated Boise State, the eventual champion in Division I-AA.
The Mustangs qualified for the eight-team Division II playoffs. In the quarterfinal game, Cal Poly shut out, In the semifinal game, also at home, Cal Poly beat for the second time in the season, this time In the Division II Championship game in Albuquerque, New Mexico, called the Zia Bowl in 1980, the Mustangs upset No. 1 , This was the first football national championship for Cal Poly and brought their record to ten wins and three lossesSchedule
Team players in the NFL
The following Cal Poly Mustang players were selected in the 1981 NFL Draft.
| Player | Position | Round | Overall | NFL team |
| Robbie Martin | Wide receiver | 4 | 100 | Pittsburgh Steelers |
| Louis Jackson | Running back | 7 | 168 | New York Giants |
| Mike Daum | Tackle | 7 | 179 | Miami Dolphins |
The following finished their college career in 1980, were not drafted, but played in the NFL.
| Player | Position | First NFL team |
| LeCharls McDaniel | Defensive back | 1981 Washington Redskins |
| Mel Kaufman | Linebacker | 1981 Washington Redskins |
