UH Hilo Vulcan teams are gritty and sometimes underdogs---the only team in the country that has to get on a plane for every single road game.

The Vulcans will be underdogs again tomorrow (Tuesday) when the 2021 Tokyodachi Mascot Mania begins on Instagram. The Vulcan mascot will be making its first appearance in the contest, depending on your vote to advance to the next round. 

256 total Tokyodachi mascots are in the contest, including those from powerhouse athletic programs like Ohio State, Alabama and UCLA. In the first round, the Vulcan Tokyodachi will be matched up against Normandale Community College from Bloomington, Minnesota. If the Vulcans win, they advance to play the winner of Texas State vs. Dixie State.

In 2020, the University of Hawai`i Manoa Tokyodachi mascot made it past four rounds to the final eight, before being eliminate in a contest that was eventually won by UC Irvine. In 2019, Grand Canyon University was the winner.

The first round match-ups begin on Tuesday and continue for the next week. UH Hilo vs. Normandale is slated for June 20, and the voting period lasts just 24 hours. Hawai`i Manoa squares off against Southern Oregon on June 21.

Advancing all depends on you (and your friends) voting!! All the action is on Instagram, be sure to follow the Vulcans at instagram.com/HiloVulcans/.

For a look at the full 256-team bracket, click here.