‘The Roditi Rule’ Documentary
What does it take to build a national championship team — and a culture to match? Students in the Sports Documentary course at TCU explored that question in “The Roditi Rule,” a student-produced film that follows TCU men’s tennis through its historic 2024 NCAA title run.
The class, offered through the Film, Television and Digital Media program, challenges students to capture a compelling sports moment. In the first week, students apply for crew roles and are selected for key positions before production even begins. Then the real work begins—connecting with stakeholders, developing the story’s angle and managing the process from concept to completion.
This year’s film centered on head coach David Roditi and the cultural transformation he helped spark, one that changed not only a program but the game itself.
At most tennis matches, the loudest sounds come from racquets and polite applause. But at TCU, that tradition has changed.
The “Roditi Rule” — officially the Big 12 Tennis Decorum Policy — opened the door to chants, cheers and crowd energy more commonly found at football or basketball games. For fans, the rule invited a new kind of courtside experience. For players, it helped fuel a championship season.
The students behind The Roditi Rule set out to explore the impact of that change and the decades of hard work and leadership behind it.