For team sports, find out what kind of offense and defense is employed. 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 sizes. At larger schools, classes are likely to be larger and taught by teaching assistants.