NYT Connections · Sports Edition · #661

NYT Connections Sports Edition Hints & Answers (#661) — July 16, 2026

Start with words that look like names of places or organizations to form your first groups.

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Traps & Misdirects for July 16, 2026

The decoys built into this puzzle — and why each one bites.

GEORGIA Decoy

You're probably thinking of the state or its football team, but the puzzle treats it as part of a larger venue name.

BIT Decoy

You're probably thinking of a small piece or data unit, but here it's a piece of riding gear.

FARGO Decoy

You're probably thinking of the city or the film, but the puzzle uses it as part of a venue name.

SUPER Decoy

You're probably thinking of something excellent, but here it forms the start of a well-known arena name.

Sports Connections Word Clues for July 16, 2026

Spoiler-free meaning for every name in the grid.

ASTRO

The Houston venue that once hosted baseball and football.

BIT

You're probably thinking of a small piece, but here it's the metal mouthpiece.

BUTLER

The Bulldogs from Indianapolis.

COLTS

The NFL team based in Indianapolis.

FARGO

You're probably thinking of the city or film, but here it names a North Dakota arena.

FEVER

The WNBA team that plays in Indianapolis.

GEORGIA

You're probably thinking of the state, but here it names an Atlanta arena.

GONZAGA

The Bulldogs from Spokane, Washington.

HOOSIERS

The nickname for Indiana University's teams.

MISSISSIPPI STATE

The Bulldogs from Starkville.

PACERS

The NBA team from the same city.

REINS

The straps used to guide the horse.

SADDLE

The seat a rider sits on.

STIRRUPS

The footrests that hang from the saddle.

SUPER

You're probably thinking of excellent, but here it starts the name of the New Orleans stadium.

YALE

The Bulldogs from New Haven, Connecticut.

Sports Connections Hints for July 16, 2026

Reveal exactly what you need — a hint, the group name, or a single word.

See hint
Names tied to one particular state's sports scene.
See group
INDIANA TEAMS
See word
COLTS
See word
PACERS
See word
HOOSIERS
See word
FEVER
See hint
Mascots shared by several college athletic programs.
See group
BULLDOGS
See word
GONZAGA
See word
MISSISSIPPI STATE
See word
YALE
See word
BUTLER
See hint
Gear used when riding horses competitively.
See group
EQUESTRIAN EQUIPMENT
See word
SADDLE
See word
REINS
See word
BIT
See word
STIRRUPS
See hint
Venues whose names end with the same structure word.
See group
_____DOME
See word
GEORGIA
See word
ASTRO
See word
SUPER
See word
FARGO

Sports Connections Answers for July 16, 2026

Full spoilers — all four groups revealed.

Yellow group

Indiana teams

  • COLTS
  • PACERS
  • HOOSIERS
  • FEVER

COLTS, PACERS, HOOSIERS and FEVER are all Indiana teams. FEVER stands out because it is the newest addition among the four.

Green group

Bulldogs

  • GONZAGA
  • MISSISSIPPI STATE
  • YALE
  • BUTLER

GONZAGA, MISSISSIPPI STATE, YALE and BUTLER are all Bulldogs teams. BUTLER is the one most likely to be overlooked because the name feels ordinary.

Blue group

Equestrian equipment

  • SADDLE
  • REINS
  • BIT
  • STIRRUPS

SADDLE, REINS, BIT and STIRRUPS are all equestrian equipment. BIT is the smallest and easiest to miss because the word has so many other meanings.

Purple group

_____dome

  • GEORGIA
  • ASTRO
  • SUPER
  • FARGO

GEORGIA, ASTRO, SUPER and FARGO each precede DOME to name a stadium or arena. GEORGIA is the trickiest because it also names a famous Bulldogs team.