The September 19, 2026, NYT Connections: Sports Edition puzzle, number 726, offers a mix of arena-specific data, travel logistics, and a deep dive into cinematic sports history. Today’s challenge leans heavily on wordplay involving professional team monikers and the filmography of one of comedy’s most prolific sports fans.
Hints for Today’s Connections
If you are looking for a nudge in the right direction without seeing the full solution yet, consider these thematic clues for each color group:
- Yellow: These are the standard metrics you would track while watching a game on the ice.
- Green: Focus on the logistics and accommodations required when a team plays away from their home stadium.
- Blue: These words look like they are missing something; they represent the beginning of specific professional football team names.
- Purple: Every name in this group belongs to a character played by the same actor across different sports movies.
Category Hints
For those who need more specific help, here are the category headers for today’s puzzle:
- Yellow: Info on a hockey scoreboard
- Green: Associated with a team road trip
- Blue: Starts of NFL team names
- Purple: Adam Sandler characters in sports films
Spoiler Warning: The final answers and group breakdowns for puzzle #726 are listed below. Do not scroll further if you wish to solve the puzzle on your own.
NYT Connections: Sports Edition Answers for September 19, 2026
The complete solution for today’s puzzle is organized by group difficulty, from the straightforward Yellow to the more complex Purple.
Yellow: Info on a hockey scoreboard
- CLOCK
- PERIOD
- SCORE
- SHOTS ON GOAL
This group captures the essential data points displayed during a professional hockey game to track progress and performance.
Green: Associated with a team road trip
- BUS
- FLIGHT
- HOTEL
- VISITORS’ LOCKER ROOM
These terms represent the typical experience for athletes and staff when traveling to an opponent’s venue.
Blue: Starts of NFL team names
- COMMA
- DOLPH
- FALCO
- STEEL
This category utilizes a specific five-letter prefix pattern. Each word is the start of a current NFL team: Commanders, Dolphins, Falcons, and Steelers. According to Parade, this wordplay group is often one of the trickier hurdles for players who aren’t looking for truncated team names.
Purple: Adam Sandler characters in sports films
- BOUCHER
- CREWE
- GILMORE
- SUGERMAN
This group highlights the sports-heavy resume of actor Adam Sandler. Each name corresponds to a lead character from his filmography: Bobby Boucher (The Waterboy), Paul Crewe (The Longest Yard), Happy Gilmore (Happy Gilmore), and Stanley Sugerman (Hustle).
