The Connections Sports Edition is a deceptively challenging game from The Athletic, and finding the right Sports Connections hint can make all the difference. The Sports Edition of NYT’s Connections puzzle grabs terms from popular US sports and groups them into increasingly difficult categories. Today’s game is tricky, with the groups being a real head-scratcher. Rest assured, you’re in the right place, as here are today’s NYT Sports Connections hint and answers for puzzle #719 on September 12, 2026.
Sports Connections Hints and Answers Today
Sports Connections features four different categories, each growing in difficulty. We start with the easiest in yellow before the difficulty spike gets steeper as we approach Green and Blue, and finally, it culminates in purple, which is the toughest of them all. Curious why the purple category is always the hardest? Read our breakdown of why the Purple category is hardest in Connections.
The difficulty of each section is based on the connection strength of the words, similar to the NYT Connections game. This means directly connected words, such as the names of skill moves in soccer, are placed in the easier categories, while loosely connected or most specifically associated words, such as the names of Knicks Hall of Famers, sit in the difficult sections.
If you’re looking to learn more about the game, including useful tips and strategies, be sure to check out our deep dive on how to play Sports Connections. Not sure how it differs from the original NYT puzzle? We also have a detailed Connections vs Sports Connections comparison to help you see how the two puzzles differ.
With that out of the way, here are the NYT Sports Connections hints and answers for September 12, 2026:
CARDINALS
DIAMONDBACKS
MERCURY
SUNS
CHAMPAIGN
COLUMBUS
LINCOLN
PISCATAWAY
ARCH
ARCHIE
ELI
PEYTON
PULSE
SUPERNOVAS
VALKYRIES
VIBE
Also, if you haven’t yet checked out other NYT puzzle games, we have got you covered with today’s Strands hints right here.
Difficulty Level for Today’s Connections Sports Edition
Based on my experience, the difficulty level for Today’s Sports Connections was a 2.5 out of 5.
The difficulty for most puzzle games is subjective, but Sports Connections, in particular, is trickier to classify since most people specialize in different sports. If you disagree with my difficulty rating, feel free to check out the section below for an overview of how I found the sports connections answer today. While you’re at it, also check out today’s Wordle hints for another brain-teaser.
How to Find NYT Sports Connections Answers?
Here’s how I narrowed down and rated the difficulty of each section (from easiest to the most tricky) in today’s Sports Connections:
- Yellow Category: This category is accessible to everyone, grouping well-known professional teams across football, baseball, and basketball based in Arizona.
- Green Category: This category is straightforward for college sports fans, listing municipalities home to Big Ten institutions.
- Blue Category: This category is broad-reaching, you need to identify famous signal-callers sharing America’s most celebrated quarterbacking surname.
- Purple Category: The hardest Purple category requires specific knowledge of emerging women’s professional sports leagues, grouping team nicknames from Major League Volleyball and the Pro Volleyball Federation.
Yesterday’s Sports Connections Hints
If this isn’t the puzzle you required assistance with, then you’re likely looking for yesterday’s Sports Connection hints and answers. Yesterday’s Connections: Sports Edition was easier than most days, and here are the answers:
| Color | Hint | Theme | Answer |
| Yellow | Official availability statuses for gridiron players | NFL INJURY REPORT DESIGNATIONS | DOUBTFUL, OUT, PROBABLE, QUESTIONABLE |
| Green | Methods for a batter to successfully gain the initial bag | WAYS TO REACH FIRST BASE | ERROR, HIT BY PITCH, SINGLE, WALK |
| Blue | Core star players for Nevada’s championship WNBA franchise | LAS VEGAS ACES | GRAY, LOYD, WILSON, YOUNG |
| Purple | Words preceding a classic basketball rim-rocking term | _____ DUNK | NIKE, REVERSE, SLAM, WINDMILL |
How to Play NYT Sports Connections?
Whether you’re new to the game or a veteran struggling with an especially tricky category, here are some tips and tricks to help you solve the puzzle without requiring a Sports Connections hint. Make sure to also avoid common mistakes in Sports Connections to improve your solve rate.
- Look for the bigger play: Just like in sports, don’t focus on a single player (or word) too early. Sometimes multiple words seem like they belong to one category, but the correct connection might involve a completely different set. Check all possible ‘lineups’ before locking in your picks.
- Pay attention to the scoreboard: Sports Connections gives you limited mistakes, just like a team only has so many timeouts or turnovers before it’s too late. If you get a grouping wrong, look for hints from the remaining words, as they can point you toward the categories you missed.
- Switch up your strategy: The game lets you shuffle the words in the grid, which is like changing formations mid-game. Seeing the words in a new order can help you spot patterns or connections you missed before.
That’s all for today’s Sports Connections hints and answers guide. If you struggled with the puzzle, remember that you can always start anew the next day, and we’ll be back with simple hints to help you out.
The NYT Sports Connections hints for September 12, 2026, are Yellow: Major sports franchises based in the Grand Canyon State, Green: College towns hosting Big Ten conference universities, Blue: Prominent quarterbacks across generations belonging to a single famous football dynasty, and Purple: Franchises competing in North American professional indoor volleyball leagues.
Today’s Sports Connections categories are – Yellow: ARIZONA PRO TEAMS, Green: BIG TEN SCHOOL LOCATIONS, Blue: MANNING FAMILY MEMBERS, and Purple: MAJOR LEAGUE VOLLEYBALL TEAMS.
No, Connections Sports Edition is exclusively available on The Athletic’s website and is not present in the NYT Games App.
The Sports Connection puzzle is released daily at midnight local time.
Yes, you can play the popular puzzle game endlessly using the Sports Connections Unlimited websites available online.
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