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As filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on March 14, 2008
Registration No. 333-______________

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

WASHINGTON, D.C. 20549

Form S-8

REGISTRATION STATEMENT UNDER THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933

BIG 5 SPORTING GOODS CORPORATION
(Exact Name of Registrant as Specified in Its Charter)

2525 East El Segundo Boulevard
El Segundo, California 90245
(310) 536-0611

Big 5 Sporting Goods Corporation 2007 Equity and Performance Incentive Plan
(Full Title of the Plan)

CALCULATION OF REGISTRATION FEE

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PART II

INFORMATION REQUIRED IN THE REGISTRATION STATEMENT

Item 3. Incorporation of Documents by Reference.

     The following documents heretofore filed by Big 5 Sporting Goods Corporation, a Delaware corporation (the “Registrant”), under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”) are incorporated herein by reference:

     In addition, all documents subsequently filed by the Registrant pursuant to Sections 13(a), 13(c), 14 and 15(d) of the Exchange Act, prior to the filing of a post-effective amendment which indicates that all securities offered have been sold or which deregisters all securities then remaining unsold, shall be deemed to be incorporated by reference in this Registration Statement and to be part hereof from the date of filing of such documents.

     Any statement contained herein or in a document incorporated or deemed to be incorporated herein by reference shall be deemed to be modified or superseded for purposes of this Registration Statement to the extent that a statement contained herein or in any subsequently filed document which also is incorporated or deemed to be incorporated herein by reference modifies or supersedes such prior statement. Any statement so modified or superseded shall not be deemed, except as so modified or superseded, to constitute a part of this Registration Statement.

Item 4. Description of Securities.

     Not Applicable.

Item 5. Interests of Named Experts and Counsel.

     None.

Item 6. Indemnification of Directors and Officers.

     Section 145 of the Delaware General Corporation Law (“DGCL”) provides that a Delaware corporation may indemnify any person who was or is a party or is threatened to be made a party to any threatened, pending or completed action or proceeding, whether civil, criminal, administrative or investigative (other than an action by or in the right of such corporation), by reason of the fact that the person is or was a director, officer, employee or agent of the corporation or is or was serving at its request in such capacity in another corporation or business association, against expenses (including attorneys’ fees), judgments, fines and amounts paid in settlement actually and reasonably incurred by the person in connection with such action, suit or proceeding if the person acted in good faith and in a manner the person reasonably believed to be in or not opposed to the best interests of

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the corporation, and, with respect to any criminal action or proceeding, had no reasonable cause to believe the person’s conduct was unlawful.

     As permitted by Section 145 of the DGCL, the Registrant’s Amended and Restated Bylaws provide that, to the fullest extent permitted by the DGCL, directors, officers and certain other persons who are made, or are threatened to be made, parties to, or are involved in, any action, suit or proceeding will be indemnified by the Registrant with respect thereto.

     Section 102(b)(7) of the DGCL permits a corporation to provide in its certificate of incorporation that a director of the corporation shall not be personally liable to the corporation or its stockholders for monetary damages for breach of fiduciary duty as a director, except for liability (i) for any breach of the director’s duty of loyalty to the corporation or its stockholders, (ii) for acts or omissions not in good faith or which involve intentional misconduct or a knowing violation of law, (iii) under Section 174 of the DGCL or (iv) for any transaction from which the director derived an improper personal benefit.

     As permitted by Section 102(b)(7) of the DGCL, the Registrant’s Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation includes a provision that limits a director’s personal liability to the Registrant or its stockholders for monetary damages for breaches of his or her fiduciary duty as a director. Article EIGHTH of the Registrant’s Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation provides that no director of the Registrant shall be personally liable to the Registrant or its stockholders for monetary damages for breach of fiduciary duty to the fullest extent permitted by the DGCL.

     As permitted by Section 145(g) of the DGCL and the Registrant’s Amended and Restated Bylaws, the Registrant maintains insurance policies under which its directors and officers are insured, within the limits and subject to the limitations of the policies, against expenses in connection with the defense of actions, suits or proceedings, and certain liabilities that might be imposed as a result of such actions, suits or proceedings, to which they are parties by reason of being or having been directors or officers of the Registrant.

     In addition, the Registrant has entered into contracts with its directors and officers pursuant to which the Registrant agrees to provide and maintain directors’ and officers’ insurance and further agrees to provide indemnification of such directors and officers to the fullest extent permitted by law.

Item 7. Exemption from Registration Claimed.

     Not applicable.

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Item 8. Exhibits.

Item 9. Undertakings.

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SIGNATURES

     Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act, the Registrant hereby certifies that it has reasonable grounds to believe that it meets all of the requirements for filing on Form S-8 and has duly caused this Registration Statement to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly authorized, in the city of El Segundo, state of California, on this 14th day of March, 2008.

POWER OF ATTORNEY

     KNOW ALL MEN BY THESE PRESENTS, that each person whose signature appears below constitutes and appoints Steven G. Miller, Barry D. Emerson and Gary S. Meade, and each of them, his or her attorneys-in-fact and agents, each with full power of substitution, for him or her and in his or her name, place and stead, in any and all capacities, to sign any or all amendments to this Registration Statement, and to file the same, with all exhibits thereto and other documents in connection therewith, with the Commission, hereby ratifying and confirming all that said attorneys-in-fact and agents, and each of them, or the substitute or substitutes of any or all of them, may lawfully do or cause to be done by virtue hereof.

     Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act, this Registration Statement has been signed by the following persons in the capacities and on the date indicated.

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EXHIBIT INDEX

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Exhibit 5.1

[Irell & Manella LLP Letterhead]

March 14, 2008

Board of Directors
Big 5 Sporting Goods Corporation
2525 East El Segundo Boulevard
El Segundo, California 90245

Ladies and Gentlemen:

     We have acted as counsel to Big 5 Sporting Goods Corporation, a Delaware corporation (the “Company”), in connection with the Registration Statement on Form S-8 (the “Registration Statement”) to be filed by you with the Securities and Exchange Commission in connection with the registration of 3,528,150 shares of the Company’s common stock, par value $0.01 (“Common Stock”), potentially issuable pursuant to the Company’s 2007 Equity and Performance Incentive Plan. As such counsel, we have examined the 2007 Equity and Performance Incentive Plan and the sale and issuance of the Common Stock pursuant thereto and such other matters and documents as we have deemed necessary or relevant as a basis for this opinion.

     In our examination, we have assumed the genuineness of all signatures, the authenticity of all documents submitted to us as originals, and the conformity to authentic original documents of all documents submitted to us as copies.

     Based on these examinations, it is our opinion that such Common Stock, when sold and issued in the manner referred to in the Registration Statement and the 2007 Equity and Performance Incentive Plan, will be duly authorized, validly issued, fully paid, and non-assessable.

     We are opining herein as to the effect on the subject transaction only of the General Corporation Law of the State of Delaware, and we express no opinion with respect to the applicability thereto, or the effect thereon, of the law of any other jurisdiction or, in the case of Delaware, any other laws, or as to any matters of municipal law or the laws of any local agencies within any state.

     This opinion is being furnished in accordance with the requirements of Item 8 of Form S-8 and Item 601(b)(5)(i) of Regulation S-K. We consent to the filing of this opinion letter as Exhibit 5.1 to the Registration Statement.

     This opinion letter is rendered as of the date first written above and we disclaim any obligation to advise you of facts, circumstances, events or developments which hereafter may be brought to our attention and which may alter, affect or modify the opinion expressed herein. Our opinion is expressly limited to the matters set forth above and we render no opinion, whether by implication or otherwise, as to any other matters relating to the Company or the Common Stock.