In the previous 6-team 2-Pool format, the conference champions were seeded 1-3 and the remaining three teams were shuffled between the pools based on the CIS balancing criteria to reduce intra-conference match-ups (e.g. when there were only two teams from one conference - they would be placed in separate pools.
In the new format, the teams would be seeded based on the last CIS Top 10 Poll (the Saturday/Sunday prior to the tournament).