NYT Connections Sports Edition · #710

NYT Connections Sports Edition Hints & Answers (#710) — September 3, 2026

By Sneha Rajput·September 3, 2026

“Lock in the yellow group first since it's the most concrete, then be careful before you group every golf course together — one of them belongs somewhere else entirely.”

NYT Sports Connections hints for September 3, 2026

Three levels of help — a definition for every word, colour-coded group nudges, and a heads-up on the traps. Skip to all answers →

Word clues

A spoiler-free definition for every word in the grid. Tap the eye on any card to reveal which colour-group it belongs to.

1 AUGUSTA NATIONALHome of the Masters — looks like a golf venue, but Augusta is the capital of Maine.

2 AUSTIN REAVESNBA sharpshooter for the Lakers — his first name is also the capital of Texas.

3 COIN TOSSThe midfield ritual that decides who receives the opening kick.

4 DEVIN HESTERThe greatest return specialist in NFL history, a Miami alum.

5 ED REEDHall of Fame safety, a Hurricane before becoming a Raven legend.

6 INTUIT DOMEThe LA Clippers' brand-new Inglewood arena, opened 2024.

7 LEVI'S STADIUMThe San Francisco 49ers' home in Santa Clara.

8 MADISON KEYSAmerican tennis star — Madison is the capital of Wisconsin.

9 NATIONAL ANTHEMSung or played just before kickoff, often with a flyover.

10 PEBBLE BEACHIconic Monterey Peninsula golf course that hosts the US Open.

11 PIERRE GARÇONNFL wide receiver — Pierre reads as a French name, but it's also the capital of South Dakota.

12 REGGIE WAYNEWide receiver who starred for the Colts after his Miami Hurricanes days.

13 TEAM ARRIVALSThe bus pull-up and tunnel walk that precede everything else.

14 TORREY PINESSan Diego's clifftop public golf course, also a US Open host.

15 VINNY TESTAVERDEHeisman-winning QB at Miami who went on to a long NFL career.

16 WARMUPSPlayers stretching and drilling on the field before the opening whistle.

Group hints

Four colour-coded groups, easiest → hardest. Every button reveals the hint, the category name, or a single word — tap only what you need.

See Hint

The clock hasn't started yet, but the stadium is already buzzing.

See Group

EVENTS BEFORE A FOOTBALL KICKOFF

See Word

WARMUPS

See Word

COIN TOSS

See Word

NATIONAL ANTHEM

See Word

TEAM ARRIVALS

See Hint

Pack sunscreen — these venues are all in the same state.

See Group

CALIFORNIA SPORTING VENUES

See Word

PEBBLE BEACH

See Word

TORREY PINES

See Word

INTUIT DOME

See Word

LEVI'S STADIUM

See Hint

These athletes all wore the same college uniform before going pro.

See Group

MIAMI (FL) ALUMNI

See Word

REGGIE WAYNE

See Word

ED REED

See Word

VINNY TESTAVERDE

See Word

DEVIN HESTER

See Hint

Each name opens with a city that runs a state government.

See Group

STARTS WITH A STATE CAPITAL

See Word

AUSTIN REAVES

See Word

AUGUSTA NATIONAL

See Word

MADISON KEYS

See Word

PIERRE GARÇON

Words the puzzle wants you to mis-group

Read these before you guess — they're the words most likely to break a streak. Tap for the trap.

1 AUGUSTA NATIONAL Tap to see why this word traps.

You're almost certainly grouping it with Pebble Beach and Torrey Pines as a golf venue — that's the bait. The puzzle is using it for a completely different reason that has nothing to do with golf.

2 PIERRE GARÇON Tap to see why this word traps.

You're probably reading Pierre as a French given name, but the puzzle isn't interested in his name's origin — it's using the word Pierre in a geographic sense.

3 AUSTIN REAVES Tap to see why this word traps.

Austin reads like a first name, and it is — but the puzzle is treating it as a place name, not a person's name.

NYT Sports Connections answers for September 3, 2026

All four groups revealed, easiest first. Each card holds the theme, the four words, and why the group works.

Y EVENTS BEFORE A FOOTBALL KICKOFF · Yellow · easiest

WARMUPS
COIN TOSS
NATIONAL ANTHEM
TEAM ARRIVALS

WARMUPS, COIN TOSS, NATIONAL ANTHEM and TEAM ARRIVALS are all things that happen before a football game kicks off. COIN TOSS is the most ceremonial of the four — it's the only one that directly determines which team gets the ball first.

G CALIFORNIA SPORTING VENUES · Green · easy

PEBBLE BEACH
TORREY PINES
INTUIT DOME
LEVI'S STADIUM

PEBBLE BEACH, TORREY PINES, INTUIT DOME and LEVI'S STADIUM are all California sporting venues. INTUIT DOME is the newest of the four — it opened in 2024 as the home of the LA Clippers.

B MIAMI (FL) ALUMNI · Blue · medium

REGGIE WAYNE
ED REED
VINNY TESTAVERDE
DEVIN HESTER

REGGIE WAYNE, ED REED, VINNY TESTAVERDE and DEVIN HESTER all played college football at the University of Miami in Florida. ED REED is the most decorated of the group — he's a Pro Football Hall of Famer widely considered the greatest safety in NFL history.

P STARTS WITH A STATE CAPITAL · Purple · hardest

AUSTIN REAVES
AUGUSTA NATIONAL
MADISON KEYS
PIERRE GARÇON

AUSTIN REAVES, AUGUSTA NATIONAL, MADISON KEYS and PIERRE GARÇON each begin with a U.S. state capital — Austin (Texas), Augusta (Maine), Madison (Wisconsin) and Pierre (South Dakota). AUGUSTA NATIONAL is the sneakiest: most solvers pull it toward the golf venues group before realising Augusta is a capital city.

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