At a Glance
- Today’s Connections: Sports Edition puzzle is a tough one focused on college sports arenas.
- The Athletic publishes the game; it’s free online even though the site is subscription-based.
- Four themed groups range from New York teams to fencing terms to college hoops venues to a “Bills” wordplay set.
- Why it matters: Players stuck on the Jan. 13, 2026 board can check the confirmed answers below and keep their streak alive.
The Jan. 13, 2026 edition of Connections: Sports Edition stumps plenty of fans, especially the group tied to college basketball arenas. Jonathan P. Miller at News Of Losangeles has the full solution list so you can finish today’s grid without a scratch to your win streak.
How to Play Connections: Sports Edition
Connections: Sports Edition is produced by The Athletic, the subscription sports journalism site owned by The New York Times. The puzzle does not appear inside the NYT Games app; instead you can:
- Open The Athletic’s own app
- Play free on the website
Gameplay mirrors the standard Connections format: 16 words split into four groups of four linked by a common theme. You select four words at a time and submit; correct groups lock in place and reveal their color-coded difficulty.
Hints for Each Group
Here are spoiler-free clues ranked from the easiest yellow category to the toughest purple set.
Yellow group hint: Empire State sports.
Green group hint: Fighting with swords.
Blue group hint: Places to play hoops.
Purple group hint: William, but for short.
Answers for Jan. 13, 2026
Yellow Group – Teams That Play in New York State
- Bills
- Islanders
- Mets
- Sabres
Green Group – Fencing Terms
- en garde
- epee
- foil
- piste
Blue Group – College Basketball Venues
- Hinkle
- Palestra
- Pauley
- The Pit
Purple Group – Bills
- Cowher
- Parcells
- Russell
- Self
Key Takeaways
- If you blanked on “The Pit,” you’re not alone; it’s the nickname for University of New Mexico’s arena.
- Fencing newcomers often miss “piste,” the strip where bouts take place.
- The purple theme is a classic wordplay twist: each answer is a famous “Bill” minus the first name.
Check back tomorrow for the next batch of Connections: Sports Edition answers.
