Looking for Connections: Sports Edition hints for October 24, 2026? Puzzle #761 moves between the baseball field, college geography and football names. Several place names look as though they belong together, but check whether a tile names a location, a team or part of a person's name before committing to a group.
Start with the four gentle clues, then try the more specific group hints. Optional two-word reveals, full answers and detailed explanations stay in separate closed panels, letting you choose how much help to uncover.
Start with a gentle clue. Two-word hints, answers and explanations stay hidden until you open them.
Playing the regular word puzzle? Regular Connections guide — a different puzzle
Gentle Hints for Puzzle #761
Try one clue for the group you are working on. You do not need to read all four.
- Yellow
Different labels for the same patch of the diamond.
- Green
Find the campuses behind the place names.
- Blue
These stops belong on one quarterback's resume.
- Purple
The missing lead-in can name a place or a person.
Stronger Group Hints
These clues narrow the theme without listing the four words. Stop here if a theme clicks.
- Yellow
Look for baseball's pitching area and the names used for its surface or footing.
- Green
Map each location to a school in the Atlantic Coast Conference, including its western and Texas members.
- Blue
Include a college team as well as NFL clubs connected to Geno Smith.
- Purple
Put the same word before each tile: two results are teams and two are players.
Two-Word Hints — Partial Answers
Still stuck on one color? Reveal two words that belong together in that group. This gives away part of the answer, so open only the color you need.
Yellow Reveal 2 words Hide words Spoiler
- BUMP
- MOUND
These two belong together. Look for two more tiles that share their connection.
Green Reveal 2 words Hide words Spoiler
- CHESTNUT HILL
- PALO ALTO
These two belong together. Look for two more tiles that share their connection.
Blue Reveal 2 words Hide words Spoiler
- WEST VIRGINIA
- JETS
These two belong together. Look for two more tiles that share their connection.
Purple Reveal 2 words Hide words Spoiler
- COWBOYS
- CLARK
These two belong together. Look for two more tiles that share their connection.
Connections Sports Answers for October 24, 2026
Ready to check your solution? Opening this panel reveals all four category names and all 16 words for #761.
Reveal all four answer groups for #761
Yellow
WHERE A PITCHER THROWS FROM
- BUMP
- MOUND
- HILL
- RUBBER
Green
ACC SCHOOL LOCATIONS
- CHESTNUT HILL
- PALO ALTO
- CHAPEL HILL
- DALLAS
Blue
GENO SMITH TEAMS
- WEST VIRGINIA
- JETS
- SEAHAWKS
- RAIDERS
Purple
DALLAS _____
- COWBOYS
- CLARK
- STARS
- GOEDERT
Why These Groups Work
This section explains each word and a possible wrong turn. It contains spoilers even if the answer panel above is closed.
Reveal the explanations and possible traps
Yellow
WHERE A PITCHER THROWS FROM
BUMP and HILL are informal names for the pitcher's mound. MOUND names that raised area directly, while RUBBER identifies the pitcher's plate on it. The category joins names for the pitching location with the specific piece of equipment there; it does not require all four words to denote exactly the same physical object.
How each word fits
- BUMP
-
A baseball nickname for the pitching mound. The small-rise image helps explain the slang: a pitcher taking the bump is going out to pitch.
- MOUND
-
The raised pitching area on a baseball field. This is the direct location term around which the group's nicknames are built.
- HILL
-
Another informal name for the mound. Read this standalone tile in a baseball sense, keeping the longer school-location tiles intact.
- RUBBER
-
The pitcher's plate on the mound. Its inclusion narrows the everyday word to a particular part of the pitching location.
Green
ACC SCHOOL LOCATIONS
The school connections are Boston College for CHESTNUT HILL, Stanford for PALO ALTO, North Carolina for CHAPEL HILL and SMU for DALLAS. The conference identity is the shared test, so the map extends beyond the Atlantic coast. Stanford's own visitor guide associates the university with Palo Alto while listing its address as Stanford, California; the tile uses that broader local association.
How each word fits
- CHESTNUT HILL
-
Boston College's main campus is in Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts. The full place name supplies the ACC-school connection; HILL by itself has a different job on this board.
- PALO ALTO
-
This points to Stanford. The university describes Palo Alto as its home community, though its visitor center's postal address is Stanford, California. Treat the tile as a local geographic association.
- CHAPEL HILL
-
The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill is the intended school. This is the full town name, rather than a clue to another synonym for a pitcher's mound.
- DALLAS
-
The location points to SMU, Southern Methodist University. Its ACC membership makes this a college-geography answer even though Dallas also suggests professional teams.
Blue
GENO SMITH TEAMS
Geno Smith played college football at West Virginia, entered the NFL with the New York Jets and later played for the Seattle Seahawks and Las Vegas Raiders. The shared link is one quarterback's playing history. The four tiles are selected examples of that history, rather than four NFL teams or a complete list of every organization he joined.
How each word fits
- WEST VIRGINIA
-
Smith's college team, the Mountaineers. Including this tile makes the category broader than his NFL career alone.
- JETS
-
The New York Jets drafted Smith in 2013. This tile supplies an early NFL stop on the same quarterback's route from college to professional football.
- SEAHAWKS
-
Smith played for Seattle after earlier NFL stops. The tile connects through the quarterback, rather than through a shared city with the other teams.
- RAIDERS
-
Las Vegas acquired Smith from Seattle in 2025. The tile supplies another professional team from his playing history.
Purple
DALLAS _____
Add Dallas before each tile: Dallas Cowboys, Dallas Clark, Dallas Stars and Dallas Goedert. The first and third are team names; the other two are football players' names. The spelling pattern is identical even though Dallas changes from a geographic label to a first name. No letter replacement or rearrangement is involved.
How each word fits
- COWBOYS
-
Dallas Cowboys completes the team name. Dallas acts as the geographic part of the expression here.
- CLARK
-
Dallas Clark, the former NFL tight end associated with the Indianapolis Colts. Dallas is his first name, and CLARK is already spelled correctly.
- STARS
-
Dallas Stars completes the team name; here Dallas supplies the geographic lead-in.
- GOEDERT
-
Dallas Goedert is the football tight end identified by the Eagles' official player profile. The same leading word now supplies a person's first name.
Connections Sports Edition FAQ
Which date and puzzle number do these Sports Edition hints cover?
These hints cover Connections: Sports Edition #761 for October 24, 2026. Sports Edition has its own numbering, separate from the regular Connections puzzle.
How can I get help without immediately seeing all the answers?
Begin with the gentle clues, then read the stronger group hints. Each color also offers an optional two-word reveal. Complete groups and detailed explanations stay in separate closed panels until you open them.
Which schools do the four ACC locations represent?
CHESTNUT HILL points to Boston College, PALO ALTO to Stanford, CHAPEL HILL to North Carolina and DALLAS to SMU. Stanford's visitor guide uses the Palo Alto association and also lists a Stanford, California postal address.
Are all four blue answers NFL teams?
No. WEST VIRGINIA is Geno Smith's college team. JETS, SEAHAWKS and RAIDERS are NFL clubs connected to his career. The category crosses that college-to-professional boundary and is not a complete career itinerary.
Does the Dallas category mean four teams in the same city?
No. Dallas Cowboys and Dallas Stars are teams, while Dallas Clark and Dallas Goedert are players' names. Adding the same word before every tile is the rule that covers all four.
Why does RUBBER fit alongside MOUND, BUMP and HILL?
RUBBER names the pitcher's plate on the mound. The other three tiles name the pitching area directly or informally. The group's location-based wording allows both the area and the plate on it.
Sources and Verification
Official puzzle data and references for this edition.
View the sources used for this edition
The October 24, 2026 date, official category titles and all 16 tiles were checked against The Athletic's puzzle data. Conference and university information, official team records and baseball references support the identities and terminology explained here. Palo Alto is the source's geographic label for Stanford, whose visitor information also gives a Stanford postal address. The hints, tile explanations and ambiguity notes are original to this edition. Source verification does not mean the official game was played or completed.
- The Athletic - official Connections: Sports Edition
- MLB - field dimensions and the pitcher's plate
- Coach Dan Blewett - baseball terms including bump and hill
- Atlantic Coast Conference - official conference membership and history
- Boston College - main-campus location and visitor directions
- Stanford - visitor information and the Palo Alto association
- UNC System - University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
- SMU - university facts and ACC membership
- Raiders - Geno Smith acquisition and college/NFL history, March 2025
- Dallas Cowboys - official team information
- Indianapolis Colts - Dallas Clark's career and retirement
- Dallas Stars - official team website
- Philadelphia Eagles - Dallas Goedert player profile
Connections Solved is an independent guide and is not affiliated with The Athletic or The New York Times.