March 13, 2026 NYT Connections Sports Edition #536 Hints and Answers

March 13, 2026 by

Abigail

Looking for help with today's NYT Connections Sports Edition? Here are all the hints, clues, and answers for Sports Edition #536 on March 13, 2026.

What Is NYT Connections Sports Edition?

NYT Connections Sports Edition is the sports-themed variant of the popular NYT Connections puzzle, published by The Athletic — the subscription-based sports journalism outlet owned by The New York Times. Unlike the main Connections game, which covers general vocabulary, Sports Edition focuses entirely on athletes, teams, leagues, stadiums, and sporting terminology. It publishes on weekdays alongside the main Connections puzzle and can be played for free online or through The Athletic's app.

Like the original, players must group 16 words into four categories of four, with each category sharing a hidden sports-related theme. Categories are colour-coded by difficulty: yellow is easiest, green is medium, blue is hard, and purple is the trickiest. You have four mistakes before the game ends.

For the regular Connections puzzle, check out our March 12, 2026 NYT Connections Puzzle #1005 hints and answers.

How to Play Connections Sports Edition

Group four words that share a hidden sports-themed common thread
Start with the colour group you feel most confident about
Use the shuffle button to spot patterns you may have missed
Share your results on social media once you're done

Hints for Connections Sports Edition #536 — March 13, 2026

Not ready for the full answers? Here are gentle category hints:

🟨 **Yellow ( about what dedicated fans love to decorate their walls with
🟩 Green: You'll need to know your Big East college sports mascots for this one
🟦 Blue: These baseball terms will make you hungry — they all sound like food
🟪 Purple (Hardest): A first name shared by some famous sporting figures — and a certain tech CEO

Today's Connections Sports Edition Categories — March 13, 2026

Here are the actual category names:

🟨 Yellow: THINGS FANS HANG ON THEIR WALLS
🟩 Green: A BIG EAST ATHLETE
🟦 Blue: FOOD, BUT MAKE IT BASEBALL
🟪 Purple: TIMS

Full answers:

🟨 THINGS FANS HANG ON THEIR WALLS: Banner, Flag, Pennant, Poster
🟩 A BIG EAST ATHLETE: Friar, Hoya, Husky, Pirate
🟦 FOOD, BUT MAKE IT BASEBALL: Can of Corn, Meatball, Pickle, Tater
🟪 TIMS: Duncan, Raines, Salmon, Tebow

Today's puzzle was a clever mix of the accessible and the deviously tricky. The blue category was a standout — baseball slang terms that sound like actual food items. "Can of corn" (an easy fly ball), "meatball" (a pitch easy to hit), "pickle" (a rundown play between bases), and "tater" (a home run) could all easily be mistaken for a food-themed category rather than a baseball one. The purple group, TIMS, required specific knowledge of athletes named Tim: Tim Duncan (NBA legend), Tim Raines (Baseball Hall of Famer), Tim Salmon (Angels outfielder), and Tim Tebow (football and baseball player). Players unfamiliar with Tim Raines or Tim Salmon in particular may have found this one genuinely tough.

Tips for Solving Today's Puzzle

The blue "food" words are actually baseball terms — if you know your in-game slang, "can of corn," "meatball," "pickle," and "tater" all describe specific plays or pitches, not lunchtime options.
The green group is about Big East mascots — Friar (Providence), Hoya (Georgetown), Husky (UConn), and Pirate (Seton Hall) are all nicknames for Big East conference schools, not the animals or characters themselves.
For the yellow group, think fan merchandise — banner, flag, pennant, and poster are all things you'd find pinned or hung in a sports fan's bedroom or at a stadium.
The purple TIMS group rewards sports history knowledge — if you got stuck, thinking through famous athletes with the first name Tim would have unlocked Duncan, Raines, Salmon, and Tebow quickly't feel discouraged if today's puzzle stumped you. A brand new Connections Sports Edition puzzle resets each weekday, and we'll have fresh hints and answers ready.

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