When Does NYT Sports Connections Reset?

NYT Connections was so well received that The New York Times shared the secret sauce with its sports publication, The Athletic, and they started releasing Connections Sports Edition puzzles in 2025. If you are a sports enthusiast, you know how intriguing this game can get. But does it reset at the same time as the original NYT Connections, or at a different time? Here is everything you need to know about Sports Connections reset time.

What Time Does NYT Sports Connections Reset?

The Sports Connections puzzle game follows the same reset schedule as its parent, Connections.

This means the NYT Sports Connections puzzle resets at midnight in your local time zone. So, as soon as the clock strikes 12:00 AM in your local time (ET, UTC, or others), you have a new puzzle to solve. NYT Sports Connections releases only one puzzle every 24 hours.

Sports Connections Schedule	Details
Sports Connections Reset Frequency	Once every 24 hours
New Puzzles	One per day
Sports Connections Release Time	12:00 AM in your local time

Does Sports Connections Reset Affect Your Streak?

Sports Connections and NYT Connections are similar in almost every way. So, if you’ve learned how to play Sports Connections, you know that this puzzle also maintains a streak count like the regular Connections.

One question you might have is whether the game’s rest time affects your streak. The short answer is no. Your streak depends on you solving consecutive daily games, so only skipping a game could break your run.

While not directly, the Sports Connection reset time can affect your streak. Since the game is only available for 24 hours, you can ruin your streak if you miss it.

So, if you are someone who enjoys solving puzzles late at night, just before wrapping up the day, we would suggest not delaying it. Moreover, if you are a frequent international traveler, we recommend solving the puzzle early in the day instead of late at night so as not to spoil your streak.

Can You Play More Than One Sports Connections Puzzle a Day?

NYT releases only one Sports Connections puzzle every day. Once you solve the 16 words into their respective categories, you will have to wait for the game to reset. While most NYT games today have an archive that acts as a workaround to play more than one game a day, Sports Connections doesn’t at the time of writing.

Since there is no archive, you’ll have to wait for the next day to get a new puzzle. If you have found today’s Sports Connections answer but don’t want to wait hours to solve a new puzzle, go through the next section, which covers other puzzles that you can play in the meantime.

Games Like NYT Sports Connections to Play While You Wait for Reset

Here is a list of games like Sports Connections that you can play while waiting for the game to reset.

Crosswordle Sports: This is the sports edition of the popular Crosswordle game. This game challenges you to rearrange scrambled letters in the correct order in a crossword-like grid. It uses sports-related words, delivering a mix of wordplay and sports knowledge.
Sports Funnel: This game is a sports guessing game where you work through the clues to identify the correct answer. Like Sports Connections, it relies on your knowledge of athletes, teams, and sports-related trivia.
Wordlecup: This sports guessing game challenges you to identify a mystery player using clues about their team, league, position, nationality, and other attributes. It offers football, NBA, and NFL modes, making it a good alternative for people who enjoy deduction-based sports puzzles.
Connections: If you want to take a break from sports themes altogether, you can try out the standard NYT Connections. It follows the same rules and mechanics, requiring you to make 4 groups using 16 words based on common themes.

Now you know that the Sports Connections reset time is 12:00 am local time. A common Sports Connections mistake people make is solving the puzzle too close to midnight, risking missing it altogether. So, it is advised that you play the game a little early because once it is gone, you won’t be able to revisit it due to the lack of an archive.

What time does Sports Connections reset?

NYT Sports Connections resets at 12:00 AM in your local time zone. You get a new puzzle as soon as the date changes to the next day where you are.

How often is the Connections: Sports Edition game updated?

The Connections: Sports Edition is updated once every 24 hours at midnight local time. You get one new puzzle each day, which becomes available at midnight in your local time zone.

Can I play past Sports Connections puzzles?

No, unlike its parent game, Sports Connections doesn’t have an archive. This means once a game is reset, you can’t find it again.