General | 7/22/2026 3:00:00 PM

TRAFFORD, PA. (pacathletics.org) - The Presidents' Athletic Conference named Cara Runyan to its Assistant Director internship position through the NCAA Pathway to Excellence Grant program.

The 20-month internship will run throughout the 2026-27 and 2027-28 academic years. Runyan will start her tenure with the PAC on August 1.

"We are extremely pleased to welcome Cara to our PAC leadership team," said PAC Commissioner Joe Onderko. "Her work with a wide variety of sports and events during her time at Robert Morris helped her stand out in our deep candidate pool. Those experiences prepared her well to join the PAC office as we host five NCAA Division III national championships over the next two years."

In her role as assistant director, Runyan will be primarily involved with the administration of the five NCAA Division III Championships the PAC will co-host with SportsPITTSBURGH over the next two years. The first two championship events will be in the 2026-27 year and both will be held at Duquesne University's UPMC Cooper Fieldhouse, beginning with the Division III Women's Volleyball Championship in the Fall of 2026. Then in March of 2027, the Division III Men's Basketball Final Four will be held at Duquesne for the first of a two-year residency.

The PAC and SportsPITTSBURGH will host a trio of national championships in Pittsburgh in the 2027-28 year, with one in each season. To close out the fall, the Division III Men's and Women's Soccer National Championships will be played at F.N.B. Stadium in downtown Pittsburgh. Following that, two championships will again be held at Duquesne: the second year of the DIII Men's Basketball Final Four in March before the Division III Men's Volleyball National Championship takes the court at Cooper Fieldhouse in April, 2028.

Runyan will also be involved in all aspects of the PAC's operations and administration in addition to her work with NCAA Championships.

Runyan graduated from Robert Morris in May with a bachelor's degree in business administration, concentrating in sport management. During her time on the Moon Township campus, she was the head manager for the Robert Morris women's basketball team, a student video/equipment manager for the Colonial football program and intramural sports manager for RMU Campus Recreation. Runyan also served in various roles for Robert Morris TV Production Operations.

In addition to her work on campus, Runyan served as a Lead Brand Ambassador for the Pittsburgh Steelers, assisting with training camp in Latrobe, all home games and youth football camps.

Runyan made the Dean's List every semester at Robert Morris from Fall of 2022 through Spring of 2026. She earned numerous awards through the Robert Morris Sport Management Association, where she served as President from Fall 2024 until graduation.

A native of Corsica, Pa., Runyan is a graduate of Clarion-Limestone High School.