NYT Connections Sports Edition Hints & Answers Sep 19, 2025

Introduction

If you’re a sports fan and puzzle solver, today’s NYT Connections Sports Edition (#361) for September 19, 2025 is packed with fun challenges. This edition blends sports history, trivia, and wordplay into a unique puzzle format.

The categories for today cover NFL sideline gear, NBA teams with singular nicknames, Michael Jordan’s career stops, and Big Ten football stadiums. For fans of pro and college sports, this one requires both trivia recall and sharp word grouping.

To help you solve without too many spoilers, we’ll start with tiered hints, then reveal the color-coded answers. That way, you can choose how much help you need while tackling the puzzle.

Today’s Connections Sports Edition #361: Theme Overview

This puzzle is all about sports culture and history. The four hidden categories include:

• Yellow: NFL sideline essentials
• Green: NBA singular nicknames
• Blue: Michael Jordan’s teams
• Purple: Big Ten stadiums

Each category pulls from a different level of sports knowledge — from NFL sidelines to iconic NBA brands to Jordan’s legendary (and lesser-known) career stops.

Yellow Group: NFL Sideline Essentials

Category: NFL sideline items

• Benches
• Chains
• Coaches
• Medical Tent

These are all staples of the football sideline experience. The chains mark first downs, the benches hold players, the medical tent is for quick checks, and of course, coaches lead the strategy.

Green Group: NBA Teams With Singular Nicknames

Category: NBA nicknames

• Heat
• Jazz
• Magic
• Thunder

Unlike most NBA teams (plural names like “Bulls” or “Lakers”), these franchises use singular nouns as their brand identity. It makes them stand out and fits into the quirky culture of pro basketball.

Blue Group: Michael Jordan’s Teams

Category: Teams Michael Jordan played for

• UNC (North Carolina Tar Heels)
• Bulls (Chicago)
• Wizards (Washington)
• Barons (Birmingham, minor league baseball)

This group tracks MJ’s unique path: college dominance at UNC, six NBA titles with the Chicago Bulls, a brief stint with the Wizards, and even a baseball detour with the Barons.

Purple Group: Big Ten Stadiums

Category: Big Ten football stadiums

• Beaver
• Camp Randall
• Ohio
• Spartan

These are legendary college football venues: Beaver Stadium (Penn State), Camp Randall (Wisconsin), Ohio Stadium (Ohio State), and Spartan Stadium (Michigan State). Recognizing them requires college sports knowledge.

Progressive Hints for Sports Edition #361

• Easiest (Yellow): Think about the NFL sidelines — what’s always present?
• Medium (Green): Four NBA teams with unique, singular names.
• Hard (Blue): Jordan’s career spanned more than basketball.
• Trickiest (Purple): Iconic college football stadiums from the Big Ten.

Strategy Tips for Sports Connections Puzzles

1. Spot singular nicknames first — they often pop out in NBA puzzles.
2. Look for career themes — like Michael Jordan’s, which combine basketball and baseball.
3. Use sports context — sidelines and stadiums are grouped by environment.
4. Save tricky trivia (college stadiums) for last if you’re unsure.

Frequently Asked Questions

What are the categories for NYT Connections Sports Edition #361, September 19?
Yellow: NFL sideline items (benches, chains, coaches, medical tent).
Green: NBA singular nicknames (Heat, Jazz, Magic, Thunder).
Blue: Michael Jordan’s teams (Barons, Bulls, UNC, Wizards).
Purple: Big Ten stadiums (Beaver, Camp Randall, Ohio, Spartan).

What is a singular nickname for an NBA team?
It’s a team name without the usual plural format — like Heat, Jazz, Magic, or Thunder.

What’s the connection with Michael Jordan’s teams?
He played for UNC, the Bulls, the Wizards, and also the Birmingham Barons in minor league baseball.

Where can I play Connections Sports Edition?
You can play daily on The Athletic’s site and app for free.

What makes the purple group (Big Ten stadiums) tricky?
Not all fans immediately recognize stadium names unless they follow college football.

Conclusion

Today’s NYT Connections Sports Edition (September 19, 2025, Puzzle #361) tested knowledge across NFL sidelines, NBA branding quirks, Michael Jordan’s career, and college football traditions.

If the stadium names or Jordan’s Barons stint tripped you up, you weren’t alone. Use this as a reminder to spot theme-based patterns — and keep coming back for daily puzzle help.

???? Don’t miss tomorrow’s Connections Sports Edition here on TechBoltX!