Yes. The daily Connections Sports Edition is free. You don't need an NYT Games account, and you don't need an Athletic subscription to play the daily puzzle. The one thing that trips people up is where it lives: it's on The Athletic, not inside the NYT Games app you use for Wordle and the main Connections. If you've been hunting for it in that app, that's why you couldn't find it.
The free vs. paid line, stated plainly
An Athletic subscription pays for The Athletic's sports journalism — its articles and podcasts. It does not gate the daily puzzle. The Sports Edition grid, like the main NYT Connections, is part of the free daily games offering. So the honest answer to "is there a catch" is no: play the puzzle for free, and the paywall only sits in front of the reporting.
Because facts like paywall terms can change, we keep the access notes on this page current rather than baked into every daily post. If you ever hit a prompt to subscribe just to play the grid, treat that as new information worth checking against The Athletic directly.
Where to play, and where to get unstuck
Play the official puzzle on The Athletic's Connections Sports Edition page. When you get stuck — which happens more here than on the word puzzle, because it's built on sports knowledge — our spoiler-free hints reveal help one tier at a time, and the answers page explains the connection behind every group.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need an Athletic subscription?
No. The daily Connections Sports Edition puzzle is free on The Athletic's site and does not require an Athletic subscription. A subscription unlocks The Athletic's sports journalism, not the daily puzzle.
Do I need an NYT subscription or NYT Games account?
No account is required to play the daily puzzle. It runs on The Athletic rather than inside the main NYT Games app, so it is separate from an NYT Games (Wordle, Spelling Bee) subscription.
Is Sports Connections in the NYT Games app?
No. Unlike Wordle and the main Connections, Sports Edition is not in the NYT Games app — it is played on the web through The Athletic. That is the most common reason people can't find it.
Where do I actually play it?
On The Athletic's Connections Sports Edition page. We link to the official puzzle at the top and bottom of every page in this section.