Today’s NYT Connections: Sports Edition (Puzzle #497) for Monday, February 2, 2026, is a geography-heavy challenge. If you know your way around the Lone Star State and the Gateway to the West, you’ll have a huge advantage. The puzzle also throws in a fun word association category perfect for Super Bowl season.
Whether you are stuck on the college mascots or the St. Louis roster, we have the full breakdown below.
Difficulty Level
Today’s puzzle is Moderate.
- Yellow: Requires specific knowledge of NCAA mascots in Texas.
- Green: Requires knowledge of professional (and college) teams in St. Louis.
- Blue: A classic “fill-in-the-blank” word game category.
- Purple: Another “fill-in-the-blank” phrase category.
Hints for Today’s Groups
Need a nudge without the full answer? Here are the themes for each color-coded group:
- Yellow Group Hint: Mascots for major universities located in the state of Texas.
- Green Group Hint: Sports teams (past and present) that call(ed) St. Louis home.
- Blue Group Hint: Words that often come before “Bowl” (e.g., the big game in February).
- Purple Group Hint: Words that can precede the number “Five” in common sports phrases.
Spoilers Below!
Warning: The sections below contain the direct answers for today’s puzzle.
Yellow Group Answer
Theme: Texas College Teams
- AGGIES (Texas A&M)
- COUGARS (Houston)
- HORNED FROGS (TCU)
- LONGHORNS (Texas)
Green Group Answer
Theme: St. Louis Teams
- BILLIKENS (Saint Louis University)
- BLUES (NHL)
- CARDINALS (MLB)
- ST. LOUIS CITY (MLS)
Blue Group Answer
Theme: Can Be Followed by “Bowl”
- PRO (Pro Bowl)
- SENIOR (Senior Bowl)
- SHRINE (East-West Shrine Bowl)
- SUPER (Super Bowl)
Purple Group Answer
Theme: ____ Five
- FAB (Fab Five)
- FIERCE (Fierce Five – Gymnastics)
- HIGH (High Five)
- STARTING (Starting Five – Basketball)
Puzzle Analysis
The Yellow group (“Texas College Teams”) might trip you up if you aren’t familiar with TCU’s unique “Horned Frog” mascot.
The Green group (“St. Louis Teams”) is a nice mix of professional leagues (MLB, NHL, MLS) and college (SLU Billikens). Note the spelling of “Blues” (Vlues in the raw data was likely a typo, corrected here to Blues).
The Blue group is timely given the upcoming Super Bowl, connecting various “Bowl” games.
How to Play Connections: Sports Edition
If you are new to the daily challenge, here is the breakdown:
- Grid: You start with 16 sports-related terms.
- Goal: Group them into four sets of four words that share a common theme.
- Mistakes: You have four lives.
- Colors:
- Yellow: Easiest
- Green: Medium
- Blue: Hard
- Purple: Tricky/Abstract
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
What is the answer to the Purple group in Sports Connections today?
The Purple group answers are FAB, FIERCE, HIGH, and STARTING. The theme is “____ Five.”
Where can I play the Sports Edition?
You can play it on The Athletic app or website.
When does the puzzle reset?
The puzzle resets daily at midnight local time.
