Everything will be OK, Marquette.

In the past month, college athletic programs throughout the country have been scrambling to maintain their conference or to ensure that they find a new one.

On Sept. 18, the Big East was rocked when mainstays Pittsburgh and Syracuse announced they would depart the conference.

The Big 12 has been in limbo since Texas A&M announced its departure from the Big 12 for the SEC. It looked like the conference would dissolve when Texas Tech, Texas, Oklahoma and Oklahoma State gathered to discuss joining the Pac-12 together. Ultimately, the Pac-12 concluded it did not wish to expand at this time, and the Big 12 hangs on for now.

But the conference turmoil isn’t the end of the world.

The Big East Conference as we know it will change with the departure of Pittsburgh and Syracuse to the ACC in 27 months, the period of time in which they are contractually obligated to remain in the conference. But the Big East will survive in some way, shape or form.

There is a strong belief that Connecticut, Rutgers and West Virginia want out of the conference as well. But this is only a belief. As of now, as Pittsburgh and Syracuse are the only two teams that have departed from the Big East.

There are never guarantees that any team will stay in the conference or that a team looking for a new conference will actually leave.Just look at Pittsburgh: Its chancellor, Mark Nordenburg, was the ringleader for the Big East’s contractual negotiations with ESPN, reportedly worth $1 billion over nine years, yet Pittsburgh is one of the first two to jump ship.

Here’s what’s known for certain: The Big East will add teams to compensate for the loss of Pittsburgh and Syracuse. With the induction of TCU to the Big East for the 2012-2013 athletic season, the conference will have 15 basketball and seven football teams whenever Pittsburgh and Syracuse leave.

Best case scenario: Marquette and the remaining Big East schools get their act together and add more football schools to maintain the conference.

The conference still seeks a new TV contract, as efforts to finalize it during the spring ultimately proved unsuccessful. As part of that contract, the Big East needs to incorporate a $20 million buyout like the ACC’s buyout situation to ensure the football schools don’t jump ship.

If the new football schools are unwilling to sign a contract with the $20 million buyout, it means those teams aren’t committed to the conference. Marquette shouldn’t get into a league with those teams anyway because there’s no stability or insurance.

If that happens, Marquette has to pursue option two: regroup with other non-football playing Big East schools and create an independent basketball conference.

That group includes: St. John’s, Villanova, Seton Hall, Providence, Georgetown, Marquette, DePaul and Notre Dame (which has a football team, but it is an independent for the money-making sport).

That core alone would keep Marquette in a good position to maintain its relevance for basketball. It would also entice other strong non-football schools to upgrade and join this basketball-driven league.

Whatever happens, Marquette is in a good position to be successful athletically.

Whether it’s in a revamped version of the Big East or in a basketball-driven conference, the Marquette men’s basketball team has several keys that ensure success: a head coach dedicated to winning, a talent-laden roster that will grow off of its Sweet Sixteen appearance in 2011, recruiting classes that bring in top-100 talent year in and year out and an athletic department that fosters a culture of winning through its delivery of facilities and strong coaching staffs.

Don’t panic, Marquette faithful. At the end of the day, “we are Marquette,” and that means we’ll survive whatever conference shake-ups come next.