Grand Slam Track Finds Lifeline, Pays Athletes Portion Of What They’re Owed

Grand Slam Track, the debt-loaded startup sports league which debuted six months ago in Jamaica and was forced to cancel its final meet in June, landed a hail mary on Friday, securing emergency financing to pay outstanding prize money owed to athletes, according to a report.

Following months of uncertainty and pressure from athletes and agents, the league was able to slow the bleeding with a cash infusion of roughly $5.5 million from a “handful” of the league’s initial investors.

While the amount accounts for about a little less than half of what the athletes are owed – a reported $11 to $13 million in prize money and appearance fees spread over the first three meets in Kingston, Jamaica; Miramar, Florida; and Philadelphia, Pennsylvania – it remains a step in the right direction. Grand Slam Track has further told athletes that it is working to land the remaining funding over the next 60 days, according to another report.

“Today is the beginning of Grand Slam Track’s reboot. We apologize for frustrations and hardships caused by the payment delays to date,” read a memo released to parties involved in the league–a copy of the letter was obtained by Front Office Sports. “Over the next 60 days, we will be working hard to make things right with everyone who helped make 2025 a success, to best position GST for 2026 and beyond. This is a critical step in that delicate and difficult process, but know there is a path. Our appreciation of your grace and support as we walk that path cannot be overstated.”

What’s Next For Grand Slam Track

All that said, the league isn’t over the hill just yet.

An additional wrinkle is another $8 million owed to vendors which provided service to Grand Slam Track – such as event and broadcast production, as well as auxiliary services – helping it get off the ground in March. My reporting in July found the league owed $77,896 to the City of Miramar for its facility rental in May. That money remains outstanding.

The league said it may try to renegotiate its vendor costs down.

Where Did Grand Slam Track’s Problems First Begin

Cracks began to form not long after Grand Slam Track cancelled its final meet of the season, scheduled for June at Drake Stadium in Los Angeles. Originally, the league brandished hyper-focused racing on the track and prize money up to $100,000 for winners of each event grouping–though every athlete in every event would be paid a certain level of prize money for their involvement.

Some athletes, like future World Championship triple crown winner Melissa Jefferson-Wooden, won all three of her competitions in Jamaica, Florida and Pennsylvania, totaling $300,000, along with another $100,000 for being the MVP of the season.

But soon reports emerged that the league, which touted early on of its $30 million in financial commitments, was facing $13 million in unpaid prize money payments to athletes. In July, my report revealed that money extended to a facility agreement in Miramar, Florida.

In late July, league founder and multiple-time Olympic champion Michael Johnson admitted the league had “major cash flow” issues and was facing financial struggles. He issued a statement that Grand Slam Track’s plan was to pay athletes before the end of the month, but with the USA Outdoor Track and Field Championships approaching, he was forced to walk back those comments.

About a month later, in a report by The Athletic, it was revealed that a major investor – Eldridge, a $70 billion dollar asset company with its hands in the Premier League, Major League Baseball and the National Basketball Association – backed out of a non-binding term sheet after it was unimpressed with the league’s first meet in Jamaica.

That decision ultimately left $30 million in funding on the table and Grand Slam Track holding the payment slip.

Winner’s Alliance, Grand Slam Track’s primary investor, had only committed to $13 million for the league’s first year. Strapped for cash heading into its third meet in Philadelphia, league board member Robert Smith, the billionaire founder of Vista Equity Partners, provided last-ditch funding to ensure the meet was able to operate.

Friday’s emergency payment is the latest break for a league that’s been operating on a razor’s edge.