Polite Spectators Discouraged in Big 12 Men's Play; USTA's Lake Nona Groundbreaking Held Last Week; North Carolina Women Stay Perfect Against Duke, Clinch ACC Title, Baylor Men Top Texas

When I heard last year that the Big 12 men's coaches had voted to let college tennis fans indulge in what is normally considered inappropriate behavior by the sport's spectators: noise during points, heckling, and other non-abusive disruptions, I considered attending a match this spring to see these loosened rules in action.  The fact that the Big 12 has stuck with no-ad, and the schedule didn't really work with my other commitments, kept me from doing that, but Tom Perotta of the Wall Street Journal went to last week's match between Oklahoma and Baylor in Waco and wrote this article about the experience. (For an account of the actual tennis match, see College Tennis Today.)

Last year, David Roditi, the men’s tennis coach at Texas Christian, pushed for a new policy that would let fans behave just like they would at a football or basketball game. It is now known as the Roditi Rule. It says, “Spectators are to behave under the same principles/guidelines of other sports (no profanity, vulgarity, abusive comments, etc.).”

From my discussions with coaches, I think it's fair to say not all of them view this change as a uniformly positive one, and in Perotta's article, it's clear that not all longtime fans are comfortable with it, either.  Tennis, after all, is not unfamiliar with rabid team support, as Davis Cup regularly exhibits, but the taboo of cheering during points will be a hard to overcome for many.  

One quibble I have with Perotta's article is this: In May, Baylor will host the NCAA team tournament. Traditional tennis rules will apply, so matches will be longer and heckling will be forbidden. Even so, some fans said they would consider returning.

I have heard plenty of heckling at the NCAAs, much of it from student-athletes themselves, who direct their comments at opponents in support of teammates. Occasionally the heckler will be warned, but the atmosphere is most certainly NOT akin to Centre Court Wimbledon, and it won't be next month in at the NCAAs in Waco, I can assure you.

The USTA has broken ground on its Lake Nona, Florida project, the new home of Community Tennis and Player Development, which is expected to be completed at the end of 2016.  For more on the new complex's official name, the specific configuration of the 100 plus courts, plus the other amenities, see this article from the Orlando Business Journal.

The top-ranked North Carolina women dropped the doubles point for the first time this season against No. 23 Duke, but fought back for a 4-1 win, with Caroline Price and Hayley Carter winning three-setters at lines 3 and 2 to clinch for the Tar Heels.  North Carolina has assured itself the ACC regular season conference title and the top seed in next week's conference tournament.

In the big men's match tonight, No. 2 Baylor defeated No. 10 Texas 4-1, getting the doubles point and wins from Julian Lenz at line 1, Diego Galeano at 4 and Felipe Rios at 6. Lloyd Glasspool kept the Longhorns from being shut out with a win at line 2. Recap should be up soon at the Baylor website.