Today's Sports Connections answers
By SportsMonkie Sports Desk · Puzzle #750 · Edited by Mark Cooper · Full spoilers below
This page always carries the current NYT Connections Sports Edition puzzle — #750, Tuesday, October 13, 2026. The four groups are MISTAKE, BIG EAST SCHOOLS, TENNIS BALL BRANDS, NWSL MVPS. The full sixteen words, sorted into their groups with a short explanation of why each one belongs, are right below. Want to solve it yourself first? Use the progressive hints instead.
Today's answers, group by group
Tier 1 · Easiest
MISTAKE
- HOWLER
- ERROR
- BLUNDER
- FLUB
Why: All four — HOWLER, ERROR, BLUNDER and FLUB — share one link: mistake. The group is knowledge-gated: you either recognise the theme on sight or you don't, so use the hints above rather than trying to reason it out from the words alone.
Tier 2 · Easy
BIG EAST SCHOOLS
- VILLANOVA
- PROVIDENCE
- CREIGHTON
- DEPAUL
Why: All four — VILLANOVA, PROVIDENCE, CREIGHTON and DEPAUL — share one link: big east schools. The group is knowledge-gated: you either recognise the theme on sight or you don't, so use the hints above rather than trying to reason it out from the words alone.
Tier 3 · Tricky
TENNIS BALL BRANDS
- PENN
- DUNLOP
- BABOLAT
- WILSON
Why: All four — PENN, DUNLOP, BABOLAT and WILSON — share one link: tennis ball brands. The group is knowledge-gated: you either recognise the theme on sight or you don't, so use the hints above rather than trying to reason it out from the words alone.
Tier 4 · Hardest
NWSL MVPS
- HOLIDAY
- KEROLIN
- CHAWINGA
- FISHLOCK
Why: All four — HOLIDAY, KEROLIN, CHAWINGA and FISHLOCK — share one link: nwsl mvps. The group is knowledge-gated: you either recognise the theme on sight or you don't, so use the hints above rather than trying to reason it out from the words alone.
If you don't follow US sports
Sports Edition skews American, so a group can be obvious to a US fan and invisible to everyone else. The "why" line under each group names the league, the city or the player so the connection makes sense even if you have never watched the sport.
FAQ
What are today's Sports Connections answers (#750)?
The four groups for Tuesday, October 13, 2026 are: MISTAKE; BIG EAST SCHOOLS; TENNIS BALL BRANDS; NWSL MVPS. The full sixteen words and the reason each group fits are laid out above.
What time does the Sports Connections puzzle reset?
A new puzzle unlocks at midnight in your local time, so players in earlier time zones get the next day's grid first. This page updates to the new puzzle as soon as it is live.
How many mistakes can I make?
Four. Every wrong group of four counts as one mistake, and the fourth mistake ends the game and reveals the solution. There is no time limit.
Previous days' answers
Missed the last few puzzles? Here are the full answers for the previous days, newest first.
Sports Connections #749 — Monday, October 12, 2026
Tier 1 · Easiest
DC SPORTS TEAMS
- SPIRIT
- WIZARDS
- CAPITALS
- COMMANDERS
Why: All four — SPIRIT, WIZARDS, CAPITALS and COMMANDERS — share one link: dc sports teams. The group is knowledge-gated: you either recognise the theme on sight or you don't, so use the hints above rather than trying to reason it out from the words alone.
Tier 2 · Easy
GEORGES
- KITTLE
- FOREMAN
- GERVIN
- SPRINGER
Why: All four — KITTLE, FOREMAN, GERVIN and SPRINGER — share one link: georges. The group is knowledge-gated: you either recognise the theme on sight or you don't, so use the hints above rather than trying to reason it out from the words alone.
Tier 3 · Tricky
NICKNAMES OF NFL CORNERBACKS
- KOOL-AID
- SPOON
- SAUCE
- PS2
Why: These four are all sporting nicknames rather than given names, so the group hinges on recognising the player behind each tag: KOOL-AID, SPOON, SAUCE and PS2.
Tier 4 · Hardest
_____ DRIBBLE
- SEAL
- CROSSOVER
- DOUBLE
- SPEED
Why: This is the wordplay group: SEAL, CROSSOVER, DOUBLE and SPEED are joined by the pattern in the title ("_____ dribble"), not by any shared sport. It is the classic trap tier — several of these words look like they belong with a sports category above, which is exactly what the puzzle wants you to try first.
Sports Connections #748 — Sunday, October 11, 2026
Tier 1 · Easiest
GIVES UP
- ALLOWS
- SURRENDERS
- YIELDS
- CONCEDES
Why: All four — ALLOWS, SURRENDERS, YIELDS and CONCEDES — share one link: gives up. The group is knowledge-gated: you either recognise the theme on sight or you don't, so use the hints above rather than trying to reason it out from the words alone.
Tier 2 · Easy
OKLAHOMA TEAMS
- COWBOYS
- THUNDER
- GOLDEN HURRICANE
- SOONERS
Why: All four — COWBOYS, THUNDER, GOLDEN HURRICANE and SOONERS — share one link: oklahoma teams. The group is knowledge-gated: you either recognise the theme on sight or you don't, so use the hints above rather than trying to reason it out from the words alone.
Tier 3 · Tricky
TYRESE HALIBURTON TEAMS
- PACERS
- USA
- KINGS
- CYCLONES
Why: All four — PACERS, USA, KINGS and CYCLONES — share one link: tyrese haliburton teams. The group is knowledge-gated: you either recognise the theme on sight or you don't, so use the hints above rather than trying to reason it out from the words alone.
Tier 4 · Hardest
NFL TEAMS, WITH THE SECOND LETTER CHANGED
- BOARS
- BULLS
- RIMS
- GRANTS
Why: All four — BOARS, BULLS, RIMS and GRANTS — share one link: nfl teams, with the second letter changed. The group is knowledge-gated: you either recognise the theme on sight or you don't, so use the hints above rather than trying to reason it out from the words alone.
Sports Connections #747 — Saturday, October 10, 2026
Tier 1 · Easiest
MLB TEAMS, ON SCOREBOARDS
- TEX
- MIA
- MIL
- SEA
Why: All four — TEX, MIA, MIL and SEA — share one link: mlb teams, on scoreboards. The group is knowledge-gated: you either recognise the theme on sight or you don't, so use the hints above rather than trying to reason it out from the words alone.
Tier 2 · Easy
TERMS FOR A FRONTCOURT BASKETBALL PLAYER
- BIG
- POST
- FORWARD
- CENTER
Why: All four — BIG, POST, FORWARD and CENTER — share one link: terms for a frontcourt basketball player. The group is knowledge-gated: you either recognise the theme on sight or you don't, so use the hints above rather than trying to reason it out from the words alone.
Tier 3 · Tricky
A TEXAS COLLEGE ATHLETE
- LONGHORN
- MUSTANG
- OWL
- AGGIE
Why: All four — LONGHORN, MUSTANG, OWL and AGGIE — share one link: a texas college athlete. The group is knowledge-gated: you either recognise the theme on sight or you don't, so use the hints above rather than trying to reason it out from the words alone.
Tier 4 · Hardest
BALL _____
- STATE
- MARKER
- HOG
- SECURITY
Why: This is the wordplay group: STATE, MARKER, HOG and SECURITY are joined by the pattern in the title ("ball _____"), not by any shared sport. It is the classic trap tier — several of these words look like they belong with a sports category above, which is exactly what the puzzle wants you to try first.
Today's grid leaned on these sports — go deeper on SportsMonkie:
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