Today's Sports Connections answers
By SportsMonkie Sports Desk · Puzzle #730 · Edited by Mark Cooper · Full spoilers below
This page always carries the current NYT Connections Sports Edition puzzle — #730, Wednesday, September 23, 2026. The four groups are TEAMS/SCHOOLS IN MASSACHUSETTS, RAIDERS QBS, PAST AND PRESENT, WOMEN'S GOLF MAJOR WINNERS, LAST WORDS IN FOOTBALL MOVIE TITLES. 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
TEAMS/SCHOOLS IN MASSACHUSETTS
- HARVARD
- BRUINS
- UMASS
- CELTICS
Why: All four — HARVARD, BRUINS, UMASS and CELTICS — share one link: teams/schools in massachusetts. 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
RAIDERS QBS, PAST AND PRESENT
- CARR
- STABLER
- COUSINS
- GANNON
Why: All four — CARR, STABLER, COUSINS and GANNON — share one link: raiders qbs, past and present. 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
WOMEN'S GOLF MAJOR WINNERS
- PARK
- INKSTER
- KORDA
- KO
Why: All four — PARK, INKSTER, KORDA and KO — share one link: women's golf major winners. 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
LAST WORDS IN FOOTBALL MOVIE TITLES
- YARD
- BLUES
- LIGHTS
- TITANS
Why: These are all sports films/documentaries — YARD, BLUES, LIGHTS and TITANS — connected by medium rather than by a single sport, which spreads them across boxing, motor racing, climbing and more and makes the group easy to overthink.
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 (#730)?
The four groups for Wednesday, September 23, 2026 are: TEAMS/SCHOOLS IN MASSACHUSETTS; RAIDERS QBS, PAST AND PRESENT; WOMEN'S GOLF MAJOR WINNERS; LAST WORDS IN FOOTBALL MOVIE TITLES. 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 #729 — Tuesday, September 22, 2026
Tier 1 · Easiest
EQUIPMENT FOR SNOW ACTIVITIES
- SKI
- SLED
- SNOWBOARD
- TUBE
Why: All four — SKI, SLED, SNOWBOARD and TUBE — share one link: equipment for snow activities. 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
MLB MASCOTS
- BLOOPER
- SLIDER
- MR. MET
- WALLY
Why: All four — BLOOPER, SLIDER, MR. MET and WALLY — share one link: mlb mascots. 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
NOTRE DAME QBS
- BOOK
- REES
- CLAUSEN
- QUINN
Why: All four — BOOK, REES, CLAUSEN and QUINN — share one link: notre dame qbs. 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
BASEBALL _____
- CARDS
- REFERENCE
- BAT
- CAP
Why: This is the wordplay group: CARDS, REFERENCE, BAT and CAP are joined by the pattern in the title ("baseball _____"), 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 #728 — Monday, September 21, 2026
Tier 1 · Easiest
DISTINCTION
- HONOR
- PRIZE
- AWARD
- ACCOLADE
Why: All four — HONOR, PRIZE, AWARD and ACCOLADE — share one link: distinction. 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
DC SCHOOLS
- GEORGETOWN
- HOWARD
- AMERICAN
- GEORGE WASHINGTON
Why: All four — GEORGETOWN, HOWARD, AMERICAN and GEORGE WASHINGTON — share one link: dc 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
USMNT ALL-TIME LEADING GOAL SCORERS
- DONOVAN
- DEMPSEY
- WYNALDA
- ALTIDORE
Why: All four — DONOVAN, DEMPSEY, WYNALDA and ALTIDORE — share one link: usmnt all-time leading goal scorers. 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
_____ WAGNER
- BILLY
- HONUS
- FRANZ
- ASHLEY
Why: This is the wordplay group: BILLY, HONUS, FRANZ and ASHLEY are joined by the pattern in the title ("_____ wagner"), 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 #727 — Sunday, September 20, 2026
Tier 1 · Easiest
MARYLAND TEAMS
- RAVENS
- MIDSHIPMEN
- TERRAPINS
- ORIOLES
Why: All four — RAVENS, MIDSHIPMEN, TERRAPINS and ORIOLES — share one link: maryland 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
FORMER NHL CITIES
- HARTFORD
- PHOENIX
- QUEBEC CITY
- ATLANTA
Why: All four — HARTFORD, PHOENIX, QUEBEC CITY and ATLANTA — share one link: former nhl cities. 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
NFL ROOKIE WRS
- BOSTON
- LEMON
- TATE
- TYSON
Why: All four — BOSTON, LEMON, TATE and TYSON — share one link: nfl rookie wrs. 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
SPORTS TERMS IN THE NATO PHONETIC ALPHABET
- YANKEE
- VICTOR
- UNIFORM
- GOLF
Why: All four — YANKEE, VICTOR, UNIFORM and GOLF — share one link: sports terms in the nato phonetic alphabet. 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.
Today's grid leaned on these sports — go deeper on SportsMonkie:
SportsMonkie is an independent site and is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or connected to The New York Times or The Athletic. "NYT Connections Sports Edition" is referenced only to describe the puzzle these hints cover; all trademarks belong to their owners. Play the official puzzle on The Athletic.