They changed the colors in the 2000 national election, IIRC.
No, it was in 1984. Two of the networks changed, because they knew that it was going to be a wipeout. The few states they were expecting to go to Mondale would show up better in a sea of red, rather than the other way around. As it turned out, only one state (and DC) went for Mondale, and Minnesota by less than 10,000 votes.
“They changed the colors in the 2000 national election, IIRC.”
I think that the real reason should be very obvious to everyone here...