PHOENIX — As most Phoenix residents are aware, there’s a bit of a rivalry between local teams and those that play in Los Angeles.

Whether perceived or actual, the rivalry between Phoenix and L.A. sports teams is fun at least and intense at best. The return of the Los Angeles Rams in the National Football League will only fuel the fire between the cities.

But the home of the Rams, due to be completed in 2019, poses an interesting problem for Phoenix.

The Valley of the Sun has emerged in recent years as a top option for many large events. In the last two years, the Phoenix area has hosted both a Super Bowl and a national collegiate football championship game and will host the men’s basketball Final Four next year.

The introduction of a stadium in L.A. will likely pose an issue as Arizona continues to work to lure large events. Gov. Doug Ducey said he is ready to take on his counterparts to the west to keep the big games coming to the desert.

“We’ve built the infrastructure to host these mega events,” he said Wednesday.

Ducey said his state is a leader in hosting big games and other attractions and will continue to be so.

“We continue to have large projects in the pipeline,” he said. “Some of our neighbors are playing catch up and they want to compete to the level we’ve achieved. The last thing we will do is rest on our laurels.”

KTAR’s Jim Cross contributed to this report.

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