The October 10, 2026, New York Times puzzle lineup offers a heavy focus on regional collegiate athletics and the specific vocabulary used in professional basketball and baseball. Today’s Connections: Sports Edition, number 747, requires players to distinguish between scoreboard shorthand and the nicknames of various Texas-based athletes.
Connections: Sports Edition Hints for October 10
If you are looking to solve puzzle #747 without seeing the full solution immediately, use these progressive hints to narrow down the categories:
- Yellow Category Hint: These are three-letter abbreviations you would see during a Major League Baseball broadcast.
- Green Category Hint: These four words describe the roles or physical profiles of players typically found near the hoop in basketball.
- Blue Category Hint: Each of these is a mascot or identifier for an athlete attending a university in the Lone Star State.
- Purple Category Hint: All four of these words can follow the word “Ball” to create a common sports or academic term.
Spoiler Warning: Connections: Sports Edition Answers
Yellow: MLB Teams, on Scoreboards
MIA, MIL, SEA, TEX
These represent the Miami Marlins, Milwaukee Brewers, Seattle Mariners, and Texas Rangers as they appear on TV graphics and stadium scoreboards.
Green: Terms for a Frontcourt Basketball Player
BIG, CENTER, FORWARD, POST
In basketball, the frontcourt consists of players who operate primarily in the “post” or near the paint, often referred to collectively as “bigs.”
Blue: A Texas College Athlete
AGGIE, LONGHORN, MUSTANG, OWL
These represent the specific nicknames for student-athletes at Texas A&M, the University of Texas at Austin, Southern Methodist University (SMU), and Rice University, respectively.
Purple: Ball ____
HOG, MARKER, SECURITY, STATE
This category uses “Ball” as a prefix to form “Ball Hog” (basketball), “Ball Marker” (golf), “Ball Security” (football), and “Ball State” (the NCAA university in Indiana).
Wordle and Strands Context
For players tackling the full suite of daily games, today is Wordle puzzle number 1939. While the solution requires a different set of logic than the sports-themed grid, many users find it helpful to look for hints at TheGamer to maintain their daily streak.
Additionally, the Strands puzzle for October 10 continues the daily trend of themed word searches. You can find specific thematic help for that grid at CNET. Today’s Connections: Sports Edition #747 is available to play on both web and mobile platforms via the New York Times Games app.
