Washington's Rome Odunze: Pac-12 'Has Been Slept on' for Its Entire Existence

Washington wide receiver Rome Odunze believes his conference doesn't get the respect it deserves.

Per ESPN's Kyle Bonagura, Odunze said the Pac-12, which will have just two teams next season, has been overlooked for its entire 108-year tenure.

"I think the Pac-12 has been slept on for the entire time that it has existed," Odunze said. "Sadly, it's coming to an end."

Since its conception in 1915, the Pac-12 has had a team recognized as the consensus National Champion 10 different times. Odunze and the Huskies are looking to be the Pac-12's first national champion of the College Football Playoff era when they take on Michigan on Monday.

Part of what has led to the Pac-12 being overlooked as one of the top conferences in football is its lack of contenders in the CFP.

Since the Playoff began in 2014, the Pac-12 has had just three appearances—Oregon in 2014 and Washington in 2016 and again this season. Now, with the Pac-12 facing a possible collapse, getting respect becomes a much more difficult task.

Washington, along with Oregon, UCLA and USC will leave the Pac-12 for the Big Ten next season. Cal and Stanford are joining the ACC, and Arizona, Arizona State, Colorado and Utah are departing for the Big 12.

With those exits, the Pac-12 will have just two teams in Oregon State and Washington State. The two teams' schedules will consist mostly of Mountain West opponents as they hope for a potential rebuild of the conference that Odunze believes is "slept on."