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Today’s Connections: Sports Edition includes a fun mix of topics, especially if you’re from the City of Brotherly Love. If you’re struggling with it but still want to solve it, read on for hints and the answers.
Connections: Sports Edition is published by The Athletic, the subscription-based sports journalism site owned by The Times. It doesn’t appear in the NYT Games app, but it does in The Athletic’s own app. Or you can play it for free online.
Read more: NYT Connections: Sports Edition Puzzle Comes Out of Beta
Hints for today’s Connections: Sports Edition groups
Here are four hints for the groupings in today’s Connections: Sports Edition puzzle, ranked from the easiest yellow group to the tough (and sometimes bizarre) purple group.
Yellow group hint: Defensive move in hoops.
Green group hint: Alma mater.
Blue group hint: Go Birds.
Purple group hint: Not five, not seven.
Answers for today’s Connections: Sports Edition groups
Yellow group: Try to stop a basketball shot.
Green group: Locations of college football playoff teams.
Blue group: First names of Philadelphia Eagles.
Purple group: ____ six.
Read more: Wordle Cheat Sheet: Here Are the Most Popular Letters Used in English Words
What are today’s Connections: Sports Edition answers?
The completed NYT Connections: Sports Edition puzzle for Jan. 1, 2026.
The yellow words in today’s Connections
The theme is try to stop a basketball shot. The four answers are challenge, close out, contest and defend.
The green words in today’s Connections
The theme is locations of college football playoff teams. The four answers are Athens, Bloomington, Eugene and Oxford.
The blue words in today’s Connections
The theme is first names of Philadelphia Eagles. The four answers are Cooper, Dallas, Jalen and Saquon.
The purple words in today’s Connections
The theme is ____ six. The four answers are kick, New Year’s, original and pick.
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