Noah Lyles and controversy go quite hand in hand. Whether it is his comments about the NBA athletes or claims of breaking Usain Bolt’s records- Lyles is always under the microscope. Continuing the trend, the Olympic gold medalist had some interesting takes to share about the Grand Slam Track. Lyles has been at loggerheads with Michael Johnson’s revolutionary league and has also decided to sit out of the same. In a recent episode of Beyond The Records podcast, Lyles suggested that GST must wait for a year more. Why so? Well, the reason itself led to Noah Lyles getting schooled on social media! So what did he say?
Speaking about GST, Lyles did not seem to like the idea of Johnson renting stadiums. Instead, he mentioned that GST must build their own stadium in the central US and host 4 GST events annually. Replying to the same, Lyles’ co-host, Rai Benjamin shrugged off the idea. He said that what Lyles suggested was not a feasible idea. One of the major reasons for the same according to Benjamin was that track and field was a ‘non-revenue’ sport. Now, while the duo put forth their opinions, the track world seemed not to like either of their points of view. As a result, what followed was brutal schooling.
In a recent thread on X posted by ‘Rori Dunk’, the narrative of Lyles and Benjamin was revisited. Initially, the post addressed Lyles’ claims. It clarified that building an entire stadium requires a lot of money and it is also a time-consuming affair. The GST probably does not have such a huge financial backup to sustain such an undertaking. But even if it had the finances, the problems were not diminishing. “Even if they do, stadiums take years to build. By the time it’s ready, the league might not even exist. Renting venues (like other pro leagues do) is way cheaper & faster,” read the status. Moreover, there were also recurring maintenance costs such as year-round usage, utilities, security and staff, track resurfacing, and more.
These costs become unnecessary if the stadium is being only used for 4 times in a year as per Lyles. Moving onto Rai Benjamin’s ‘non-revenue’ comment, the post debunked it as half true. While track and field does not make heavily profitable money, it does have money coming in from sponsorships and TV deals. Sponsors like Nike, Adidas, Puma and more invest in the sport to maintain a smooth cash flow. Taking a dig at Benjamin, the post read, “If track had zero revenue, Nike wouldn’t be paying Rai Benjamin. His contract exists because there’s some level of profitability in track, just not as much as the NBA or NFL.” Thus, track surely does make money. Only thing lacking is the unending struggle of accumulating enough profits
Here’s why Noah Lyles’ suggestion for the Grand Slam’s approach to constructing a new stadium to host their meets would be the wrong one
And why Rai Benjamin’s comment about “non-revenue” sport is incorrect
(via @podbtr) pic.twitter.com/MSo7ewVSUP
— RoriDunk (@FitzDunk) March 9, 2025
Lastly, the thread summed up the controversy suggesting that track and field needed a better business model. Meanwhile, this was not the only suggestion Noah Lyles had for Grand Slam Track. In fact, he has been dismissive about the million-dollar league right from the beginning. And Lyles had some really interesting points to share.
Noah Lyles takes bold dig at Johnson’s Grand Slam Track’s vision and future
Noah Lyles isn’t holding back when it comes to the newly launched Michael Johnson’s Grand Slam Track (GST). The Olympic gold medalist has raised serious concerns about the league’s structure and execution and has taken unapologetic shots at the same. Lyles even highlighted its fundamental differences from the well-established Diamond League. While GST aims to unify track and field under one ownership model, Lyles believes this approach could backfire.
“The reason that I don’t believe that can work is because the Diamond League meets are actually individual entities,” Lyles unabashedly explained on his Beyond the Records podcast. Unlike the Diamond League’s independent management model, GST operates under a single business structure. Noah doubts this will translate into success. He boldly stated, “Grand Slam is under one umbrella—it’s all owned by Grand Slam; it’s a business model.”
Paris 2024 Olympics – Athletics – Men’s 200m Semi-Finals – Stade de France, Saint-Denis, France – August 07, 2024. Noah Lyles of United States reacts after finishing in second place in semi final 2. REUTERS/Sarah Meyssonnier
Marketing and scheduling are other major pain points for Lyles. He questions how GST can create a compelling narrative when titles overlap. “From a marketing standpoint, how do you market something that two people can claim? There has to be a single winner,” he argued. The confusion over what constitutes a “Grand Slam winner” could dilute the league’s credibility and impact with fans.
Despite GST securing a broadcasting deal with Peacock, Lyles still seems to see gaps in its long-term vision. He suggested that Michael Johnson should build a permanent stadium in a central U.S. city to establish a consistent identity for the league. “I think they should hold up one more year… I think they should build one stadium in the U.S. in one central city,” Lyles proposed. His critiques underline the challenges GST might be facing in balancing commercial success with the sport’s authenticity. However, it is for time to determine the league’s future in the upcoming days.
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