Paris Olympics gold medalist Noah Lyles sat down for the first major interview of the track and field off-season. The 27-year-old surprised fans by making his runway debut at the New York Fashion Week. However, the defending world champion also showed how his mind never strays too far from competition, when he discussed Grand Slam Track.

ESPN sportscaster Stan Verrett asked Lyles about the much-anticipated league premiering in April next year. “He (Michael Johnson) wants you to be a part of it. The reports say that you’ve been talking about it. What are your thoughts on it?” asked Verett. The third fastest man across 200 meters in history had nothing but praise for Johnson “going against the grain.”

However, he also mentioned one little hiccup. “The problem with our sport right now is, we have great performances, but nobody’s able to see it,” said Noah Lyles. While the American track and field legend has promised $12.6 million in total prize money, he’s yet to announce Grand Slam Track’s broadcast partner. This alone could be a dealbreaker for the Olympian.

“Until I’m able to hear that TV sponsor (3:20) I don’t know that I can make a decision,” Lyles told ESPN. In fact, the six-time world champion used an old adage to describe the situation. “You know, if a tree falls in the middle of the woods and nobody’s there to see it…” said Lyles. “Did it really fall?” Verrett chimed in, completing the gold medalist’s sentence.

Four-time Olympic gold medalist Michael Johnson is well aware of the issue. Currently, NBC and its streaming service Peacock handle most track and field broadcasts in the USA. During the Olympics, Peacock was the main platform for all events in Paris. However, with the Grand Slam Track, Johnson hopes to make things more accessible.

However, signing an exclusive deal would directly contradict that vision. So, maybe that’s why Johnson is holding off, and hopes to bring good news “sometime in the fall.” However, until then, Noah Lyles might prefer to sit on the fence regarding Grand Slam Track. However, there’s another track event aiming to bring similar change.

Alexis Ohanian thinks like Noah Lyles

Grand Slam Track promises to revolutionize how track and field leagues operate and how much money athletes earn. While Michael Johnson aims to bring global change, Alexis Ohanian is conducting a test run in New York. On September 26, the Reddit co-founder will host the much-anticipated Athlos NYC event

Johnson promises to bring more money and more races to help athletes stay active while earning more. Similarly, Athlos NYC is set to become the highest-paid women’s track event in history, with $60,000 plus 10% ticket sales revenue going to the winner of each race. And just like Noah Lyles, Serena Williams’ husband understands the importance of getting eyes on the event.

So, the 41-year-old will stream the event for free on nearly all major social media platforms. “Everyone watches women’s sports, but too often their games are broadcast on small networks with no promotion or behind expensive paywalls.” said Ohanian, echoing Lyles’ statement. However, things will be different for the event at Ichan Stadium.

“For ATHLOS, we’re going BIG—AND ACCESSIBLE. Behold our global broadcast partners for our NYC race: YouTube, X, ESPN & DAZN,” the Athlos founder announced on social media. Will Michael Johnson take a similar approach with Grand Slam Track? Only time will tell. However, Noah Lyles’ statement proves MJ will attract the big names if every fan can tune in.