The aim of the ITA was to have a series of meets involving about 50 top athletes forming a track and field tour similar to those existing in golf and tennis.
[6] O'Hara for his part tried to smooth relations with the AAU by avoiding scheduling conflicts and promising not to sign-up college athletes.
[6] The attraction to the athletes of the ITA was not only the prize money but also the freedom to pursue other commercial opportunities, like endoresement advertising, that were denied to them if they stayed an amateur.
Other notable world bests achieved indoors included those by John Radetich in the high jump and Steve Smith in the pole vault.
[11] The meets often also had novelty events, for example having the shot putter Brian Oldfield racing against female sprinters over 30 m. In the short-term this attracted spectators but longer-term it damaged the credibility of the ITA.
One famous female athlete who personally suffered from this lack of competition was Wyomia Tyus-Simburg who had been tempted out of retirement to run for the ITA and was unbeaten in their 1974 season.
[1] Hurdler and Olympian Rod Milburn competed on the tour several years and beat Lance Babb in ITA's final competition.
[2] The ITA spectators were promised the renewal of popular track and field rivalries of the day that would lead to new record performances.
The rivalry between Bob Seagren and Steve Smith in the pole vault was added extra spice by their well-known personal animosity.
Jim Ryun versus Kip Keino in the 1500 m/mile was another such rivalry, though thankfully restricted solely to the athletic competition in their case.
A particular blow was the failure to sign three New Zealand middle-distance running stars, John Walker, Dick Quax and Rod Dixon.
Many of the ITA's promotional ideas were seen as quirky in their day but are now staples of the World Athletics Diamond League, for example, and include such innovations as prize money and a points-standing system over a season-long tour.