Though once a mainstay of college football practices — or any level of passionate grunting and pounding, for that matter — it was almost like a unicorn showed up in purple and gold at LSU’s steamy workout earlier this week.

The Tigers had themselves a bona fide intrasquad fight. A full-blown good one, by all accounts. None of this namby-pamby pushing and shoving. There were even fists flying about, attached to multiple players, with offshoots of the original skirmish popping up here and there in more and more heated exchanges (it was, not surprisingly, after drills had shifted from the indoor air-conditioning to whatever Louisiana heat torture was in store outside).

Reports surfaced of “punches thrown” and players “taken to the ground.”

There was speculation that this might be a first under second-year head coach Brian Kelly, although sophomore tight end Mason Taylor, speaking to media afterwards, seemed to remember a similar dust-up last season.

This one, which basically pitted offense against defense, was notable for its star power.

It came during 11-on-11 drills, which opened the melee for everybody, and many took advantage. Wide receiver Malik Nabors, probably the Tigers’ best offensive player, was sent to the locker room along with fellow receiver Kyren Lacey.

LSU’s best defensive player, linebacker Harold Perkins, got to remain at practice (in the heat) but was not allowed to participate further. I guess that qualifies as punishment.

You never know where a coach might stand on these matters.

But certainly times have changed.

Back in the dark ages when water was as rare as icicles at August football practice, coaches used to all but relish such moments. Even better if it was the week of a big game rather than preseason. Some were accused of encouraging it, even spurring on the combatants.

Their team was showing”fight” and “grit” and “toughness.” The standard procedure was for the staff to sit back and enjoy the show for a moment or so, letting it play out.

Some coaches of that ilk might even still be roaming the Earth.

But there seems to be more holdover fans from that bygone era than coaches. Nothing gets their juices bubbling (from the comfort of air conditioning) like scattered reports of mayhem and bloodshed on the scalding practice field “toughening them up.”

Anyway, we now know where Kelly stands with the dissenting view.

He’s not a fan of the macho silliness. He was not happy with Monday’s developments.

Kelly immediately stopped practice and his team message, according to Taylor, was that even in the heat and with emotions running high they had to “respect the brotherhood.”

He chided assistant coaches after practice for not breaking it all up sooner.

So he wants no part of it. He may be college football’s

most experienced coach, but he’s not Old School.

But this likely isn’t all about the “brotherhood’s” chemistry.

Part of it, maybe.

But things like this still happen. It certainly isn’t a looming sign of dissension on the team. The fight was surely already forgotten among the involved.

For that matter, better to be duking it out on the practice field with one another than, say, against civilians at off-campus watering holes.

But another aspect to the lower tolerance is that coaches seem married to the notion of playing like they practice (or fight?). In days of yore one might get away with such mischief with a 15-yard flag if no weaponry was involved. The rules are pretty clear nowadays.

That stuff is not only frowned upon now, it’s an automatic ejection, zero tolerance — for the next game, too.

LSU surely doesn’t need to be taking the field without Nabors and Perkins.

Beyond that, if that lesson was driven home Monday, the big fight was much ado about nothing.

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Scooter Hobbs covers LSU athletics. Email him at scooter.hobbs@americanpress.com