The world of athletics is shifting gears to elevate professional track and field experience. With the World Athletics Championships wrapped up, names like Noah Lyles, Kenny Bednarek, and Gabby Thomas are already bracing for a whirlwind 2026 season. Interestingly, as the new season is all set for meets like the Diamond League, and World Athletics Continental Tours, USATF is also introducing World Athletics-labeled meets to enhance opportunities for athletes and viewership experience for fans.

On October 10, USATF officially announced the launch of a brand-new league that will be governed and managed entirely under its authority. According to USATF officials, this groundbreaking initiative aims to revolutionize professional track and field in the United States. The primary goal of the new tour is to unify elite competitions under one banner, streamlining operations, aligning schedules, and offering financial, marketing, and logistical support directly to athletes through the federation.

Talking to the media, USATF CEO Max Siegel explains, “The USATF Tour represents a collective investment in the future of our sport. It addresses some of the key challenges facing track and field in the United States, including fragmented scheduling, overlapping events, and dispersed media coverage. Together with dedicated meet organizers from across the country, we can deliver stronger competition, a better fan experience, and greater value for athletes, partners, and communities.”

All set to debut in 2026, the USATF tour will be integrating both the World Athletics-labelled events and those aspiring to earn the designation in the future. As per Siegel, their vision is clear: to amplify sponsorship opportunities, strengthen athlete development pathways, and deliver a more engaging, uniform experience for fans and global audiences alike.

This year, all of the events were too cluttered: 19 World Athletics Continental Tour meets, two Grand Slam events, and a Diamond League meet, all fighting for attention within just 15 weeks. The end result was Confusion, overlap, and a tug-of-war for athletes, fans, and TV time.

USATF wants to change that with their new event, but how? Well, that’s the question that is yet to be answered by the CEO, Max Siegel. Well, it must be noted that the new tour promises to bring in big stars, but on the other hand, LA Grand Prix is also planning to do something similar.

USATF drops the news of the LA Grand Prix as well

The governing body of U.S. athletics has officially announced the USATF Tour, but amid the excitement comes a twist of confusion. Just days earlier, USATF had expressed interest in reviving the LA Grand Prix, which was canceled this year. To recall, the 2025 edition, originally set for early June, was ultimately scrapped. USATF CEO Max Siegel cited logistical and financial challenges, noting that hosting two major meets in Los Angeles within three weeks was impractical, especially with Grand Slam Track’s finale already locked in for June 28–29 at the same venue. Well, it was again cancelled in June, marking the end of its 2025 season; however, things are not the same for 2026.

According to The Sports Examiner, the USATF LA Grand Prix has officially been added to the 2026 World Athletics Calendar. According to the calendar, the league will take place on June 14, 2023.  This announcement just came days after the USATF NYC Grand Prix, which is listed for June 6, 2026. Interestingly, neither of these events currently appears on the official USATF events calendar for 2026. However, World Athletics has already categorized both as Continental Tour, Gold meets.

With multiple tours now competing for athletes’ attention, the pressure is on to decide where to compete. Between the Diamond League and other elite circuits, the addition of the USATF Tour only intensifies the scheduling chaos. Still, the big question remains: will this new league unify the sport or just add another layer of confusion?