The NYT Connections: Sports Edition puzzle for October 13, 2026, marks milestone number 750. Today’s grid challenges players with a mix of collegiate conference knowledge, equipment branding, and professional soccer accolades.
Broad Hints for Today’s Groups
If you are looking to narrow down the categories without seeing the full solution yet, consider these themes:
- Yellow: Terms used when a player makes a significant mistake.
- Green: Universities that compete in a specific Power Six basketball conference.
- Blue: Manufacturers specializing in equipment for the tennis court.
- Purple: Individual award winners in the top American women’s soccer league.
Stronger Hints for the Categories
For those stuck on specific words, here is more targeted help:
- Yellow: One of these terms, “Howler,” is most commonly used in soccer to describe a goalkeeping gaffe.
- Green: Think of schools like Georgetown or UConn; these four belong to the same conference.
- Blue: These are the names you see printed on the side of a yellow felt ball.
- Purple: These are the surnames of players who have been named the NWSL Most Valuable Player.
The “Penn” Red Herring
Be careful with the word Penn. While the University of Pennsylvania is a well-known school, it belongs to the Ivy League. In this puzzle, Penn serves as a distractor for the Big East category (Green), but it actually belongs in the tennis equipment group (Blue).
Spoiler Warning: The final answers for today’s Connections: Sports Edition follow below.
Connections: Sports Edition Answers for October 13
Yellow: Mistake
- Blunder, Error, Flub, Howler
- Context: These words describe various degrees of on-field mistakes. “Howler” specifically refers to a glaring error, often by a goalkeeper in soccer.
Green: Big East Schools
- Creighton, DePaul, Providence, Villanova
- Context: These four institutions are members of the Big East Conference, a major collegiate athletic conference known primarily for its basketball prowess.
Blue: Tennis Ball Brands
- Babolat, Dunlop, Penn, Wilson
- Context: These are the four primary manufacturers that produce tennis balls used in both recreational and professional play.
Purple: NWSL MVPs
- Chawinga, Fishlock, Holiday, Kerolin
- Context: These players have all reached the pinnacle of individual success in the National Women’s Soccer League. This includes 2013 winner Lauren Holiday, 2021 winner Jess Fishlock, 2023 winner Kerolin, and 2024 winner Temwa Chawinga.
