Notre Dame is undoubtedly a top-eight team next year, but they earned the right be a top-four team.

With College Football Playoff expansion almost a given thanks to the Big Ten and SEC, Notre Dame's independence only gains strength.

The Notre Dame Fighting Irish play their home games in a stadium that ranks as one of the most expensive to build. According to a list, the so-called House That Rockne Built is second behind Texas A&M's Kyle Field, which came in at $650.4 million. The list appears to be compiling total construction costs over the years and adjusting for inflation.