Noah Lyles is open to competing for/with/on the Grand Slam Track series next season. However, he declined the initial invite from Michael Johnson in large part because of financial opportunity.
The 27-year-old sprinter finally revealed the real reason for his decision during a recent conversation with Cam Newton.
Lyles, the reigning Olympic gold medalist in the 100-meter, questioned Johnson’s claims about the “revolutionary” track and field league from the beginning. He was not sure whether to believe Grand Slam Track would change the sport forever or if it was a flash in the pan destined to flop. That was the primary reason for his decision to stay with the Diamond League for 2025. The lack of exposure was a concern.
It seemed at first as though Lyles made the right call! Former Olympic champion sprinter Michael Johnson founded the Grand Slam Track series with stated aims to increase and boost the sport in public consciousness and to promote the sport outside of the four-year cycle of Olympic Games. Attendance was poor at the first meet in Kingston, Jamaica. Not even half of the seats were full.
Critics were quick to declare the Grand Slam Track venture a failure. They said the project was a marketing and logistical misfire that resulted in an overhyped flop.
That may ultimately prove to be true but the crowd in Philadelphia over the weekend was much better than the crowd in Kingston. Franklin Field was pretty close to capacity on the straightaway. It was a very solid turnout for “regular season” track and field.
One of the biggest selling points for Grand Slam Track is the purse. Johnson pays $100,000 for each victory, which is up 10X from the $10,000 of the Diamond League.
In our sport, it’s inverted. You have to go get a sponsorship, and you aren’t paid very much at all to actually be a racer and to compete in the sport. That’s a weird and structurally flawed issue with the sport. So the fact that we can actually pay athletes based on the fact that you’re one of the best in the world … that’s significant.
— Michael Johnson
Noah Lyles has long said that money was not the driving force behind his decision. His biggest concern with Grand Slam Track was the exposure. He wasn’t so sure it would stick.
That may still be true but money did play a role. Lyles said publicly for the first time that the contract offer from Grand Slam Track was not big enough on Newton’s podcast. The proposal was “not a fraction of what his worth is” in addition to the brand marketing concerns. But 2026 is not out of the equation!
I, like many, suspected from the beginning that money factored into Noah Lyles’ decision to decline. This was the first time he admitted as much. He previously focused on the lack of exposure.
And here’s what is funny. Lyles is worried that Grand Slam Track wouldn’t do enough for his brand. But his brand is already so big as one of the most famous track and field athletes in the world that the series immediately becomes more enticing to sponsors and to fans if he were to sign on. It is something of a chicken and egg situation. What comes first? We’ll have to wait and see.