INDIANAPOLIS — NCAA member schools voted to ratify a new, streamlined constitution Thursday, paving the way for a decentralized approach to governing college sports that will hand more power to schools and conferences.

The vote was overwhelmingly in favor, 801-195, and was the main order of business at the NCAA’s annual convention. NCAA President Mark Emmert, in his state of college sports address — delivered via video conference to a convention ballroom because he is currently in COVID-19 protocols, called the new constitution more of a “declaration of independence.”

Now each of the association’s three divisions will be empowered to govern itself.

The new constitution is 18 1/2 pages, down from 43, and mostly lays out guiding principles and core values for the NCAA, the largest governing body for college sports in the United States with more than 1,200 member schools and nearly 500,000 athletes.