Break Point: College Tennis Tries to Rally

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(photo shutterstock.com)
(photo shutterstock.com)

The college tennis world is undergoing a quiet revolution. Or not so quiet, as anyone attending a Big 12 Conference match this past season would tell you. The new Roditi Rule, named after Texas Christian University men's tennis coach David Roditi, encourages fans to cheer for players (and heckle opponents — within reason) as they would at a football or basketball game. Combined with free pizza, contests and other activities to keep spectators engaged, the new rule created a noticeable difference in the fan atmosphere at Big 12 competitions.

The changes are part of an effort to attract more fans and curb a growing national disinterest in tennis, with 600 collegiate varsity programs shutting down since the 1970s. "Everyone is very worried," Intercollegiate Tennis Association executive director David Benjamin told The Wall Street Journal. "In the history of the NCAA, there has never been a period like this."

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