Noah Lyles’ Concerns for Joining Michael Johnson’s League Validated by Track and Field Icons: ‘Can’t Knock It’

Olympic legend Michael Johnson has promised that Grand Slam Track will revolutionize how much professional track and field athletes earn. The promise of a total prize pool of $12.5 million has also attracted giants of sport such as Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone, Kenny Bednarek, Fred Kerley, Josh Kerr, and many more. However, Noah Lyles, arguably the biggest name in track and field right now, has been skeptical to join the league. Although Lyles is interested, he has been reluctant to sign up from the beginning. That’s because the potential to earn a massive purse isn’t motivation enough.

As the man with the most valuable sponsorship contract in track and field, money is no object. Instead, knowing that he will continue to earn millions from his Adidas contract, the 27-year-old is hungry for exposure. In August, he opened up on Shannon Sharpe and Chad Ochocinco’s “Nightcap” podcast sharing, “The thing that’s stopping me at the heart of it is I have yet to hear of a TV provider. Again, what good is it if we’re producing these great times, great shows, these great rivalries and we have nobody seeing it. Now we’re in the same problem we’re in with the Diamond Leagues and World Championships. I need to hear a TV provider and I need to know that it’s going to be seen consistently.”

Months later Justin Gatlin has shared his POV on Lyles’ decision sharing: “He knows exactly what he needs to do, and if he does something, that’s going to be televised.” Noah Lyles is already among the most recognizable faces in track and field and believes that he will achieve more success through recognition rather than money. “I feel like he thinks that having his races and him televised is going to make a difference and a change for his success,” Gatlin added.

While the fifth-fastest man in history may not be on board with such a strategy, he can see the merits from Lyles’ perspective. “So I can’t knock it. I just think that the exposure needs to be done differently for him,” Gatlin said on the latest episode of Ready Set Go. Lyles may not join the roster even if Grand Slam Track solves all its broadcast partnership woes overnight.

Gatlin believes that the 100-meter Olympic champion wants his fame to transcend the sport of track and field. “Become a person, a persona outside of track in field, and have a true crossover into a whole different realm,” said the Olympic legend. He even compared what Noah Lyles is attempting to do with what Snoop Dogg has already done.

“I mean like I don’t remember last time Snoop even put out a song,” confessed Gatlin. However, today the Grammy-winning artist has made his presence known in the sporting world, often collaborating with athletes such as Simone Biles. This is something Michael Johnson’s league won’t be able to provide, and it’s something Lyles is already trying to achieve himself.

Noah Lyles is trying to garner more attention toward him and track and field

The fact that Lyles is hoping to transcend his popularity beyond the sport has become increasingly apparent during the current off-season. The defending world champion made a splash when he walked the runway at this year’s New York Fashion Week and did it not once, but twice. While Lyles made his debut in the Adidas SS25 collection, the next collaboration was quite different.

Noah Lyles embraced his love for anime, collaborating with Grammy winner Steve Aoki, to pose in the Dim Mak x Toei Animation, One Piece Spring/Summer 2025 runway collection. Meanwhile, the sprinting icon has constantly hinted at GST’s woes of securing a broadcast partner with global reach. “If a tree falls in the woods… Did it make a sound?” he said regarding the league.

While Citius Mag has partnered with GST to boost it’s social media presence, one could argue Lyles created more buzz with a single race on the entire internet. Lyles vs. IShowSpeed set the entire internet ablaze when the Stream of the Year award winner held his win against the Olympic champion. Everything that ensued, including Speed vowing to beat Lyles on the Olympic stage, garnered the exposure Lyles had been looking for.

Besides IShowSpeed, Noah Lyles’s rivalry with Tyreek Hill has also helped him create a presence among the NFL community. In fact, after Lyles collaborated with IShowSpeed, many fans are eagerly awaiting the rumored Lyles vs. Hill race. It’s not difficult to see why Justin Gatlin understood the Olympian’s mission to prioritize recognition over prize money.