Today's NYT Connections: Sports Edition Hints and Answers for March 17, #175

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Connections: Sports Edition might be tough today -- unless you're really up on the alums of a certain Eastern university. Read on for hints and the answers.

Connections: Sports Edition is out of beta now, making its debut on Super Bowl Sunday, Feb. 9. That's a sign that the game has earned enough loyal players that The Athletic, the subscription-based sports journalism site owned by the Times, will continue to publish it. It doesn't show up in the NYT Games app but now appears in The Athletic's own app. Or you can continue to play it free online.  

Read more: NYT Connections: Sports Edition Puzzle Comes Out of Beta

Hints for today's Connections: Sports Edition groups

Here are four hints for the groupings in today's Connections: Sports Edition puzzle, ranked from the easiest yellow group to the tough (and sometimes bizarre) purple group.

Yellow group hint:  Viking and Seahawk are others.

Green group hint: Cinderella team.

Blue group hint:  Gophs and Dawgs are others.

Purple group hint: Husky stars.

Answers for today's Connections: Sports Edition groups

Yellow group: NFL teams, minus the S.

Green group: Unlikely winner.

Blue group: Colloquial nicknames for college teams.

Purple group: UConn basketball greats.

Read more: Wordle Cheat Sheet: Here Are the Most Popular Letters Used in English Words

What are today's Connections: Sports Edition answers?

The completed NYT Connections: Sports Edition puzzle for March 17, 2025. NYT/Screenshot by CNET

The yellow words in today's Connections

The theme is NFL teams, minus the S. The four answers are Bronco, Colt, Cowboy and Ram.

The green words in today's Connections

The theme is unlikely winner. The four answers are dark horse, long shot, minnow and underdog.

The blue words in today's Connections

The theme is colloquial nicknames for college teams.. The four answers are Cats, Hoos, Terps and Zags.

The purple words in today's Connections

The theme is UConn basketball greats. The four answers are Bird, Hamilton, Lobo and Walker.