For team sports, find out what kind of offense and defense is employed. For individual sports, find out how you are seeded and how to qualify for conference and national championships. Don't make any assumptions about how long a coach will be at a school. If the coach is losing and the contract ends in two years, you may have a new coach. Describe the preferred, invited and uninvited walk-on situation.
Different teams treat walk-ons differently.
Smaller colleges can have very highly rated departments. A team's reputation is only one variable to consider. This will tell you about the quality of their commitment to academics. The team's grade-point average also is a good indicator of the coach's commitment to academics. Describe the typical class size.