The 1971 Colgate Red Raiders football team was an American football team that represented Colgate University as an independent during the 1971 NCAA University Division football season. In its fourth season under head coach Neil Wheelwright, the team compiled a 6–4 record. For the first time since the 1944 season, the team named two players as captains, Thomas Doyle and Steve Morgan. The team played its home games at Andy Kerr Stadium in Hamilton, New York.