# NYT Connections Sports Edition puzzle #724

> Today's word game challenges sports fans to spot connections between 16 words across four categories.
- Title: NYT Connections Sports Edition puzzle #724 · Mashable
- Summary: Today's word game challenges sports fans to spot connections between 16 words across four categories. Connections Sports Edition groups words by shared…
- Keywords: new york times, connections sports edition, word game, daily puzzle, the athletic, wordle, sports trivia, technology, culture, NYT, Connections, Sports
- Source: Mashable — https://mashable.com/entertainment/nyt-connections-sports-edition-hint-answer-today-september-17-2026
- Author: Mashable Team
- Published: 2026-09-17T02:00:00+00:00
- Read time: 1 min
- Topics: new york times, connections sports edition, word game, daily puzzle, the athletic, wordle, sports trivia, technology, culture
## What is Connections Sports Edition
The New York Times launched this sports-focused word game with The Athletic, where players group 16 words into four categories based on shared connections.
## How the game works
Find four words that share something in common, then remove them from the board. You get four mistakes before the game ends, and each category is color-coded by difficulty.
## Today's difficulty levels
Yellow is easiest (a collection of teams), green is moderate (last four summer Olympic hosts), blue is harder (Missouri Valley schools), and purple is toughest (types of giants).
## Yellow category answer
A Collection of Teams: Conference, Division, Group, League. These are all ways to organize sports teams into groupings.
## Green and blue answers
Last Four Summer Olympic Hosts: London, Paris, Rio de Janeiro, Tokyo. Missouri Valley Schools: Belmont, Bradley, Drake, Northern Iowa.
## Purple category answer
Underscore Giants: Little, New York, San Francisco, Yomirui. These all precede the word Giants to form team or entity names.
## Key takeaway

Connections Sports Edition groups words by shared themes, with difficulty ranging from yellow (easiest) to purple (hardest).